How to Shop the Warehouse Stores
Stores like Costco and Sam's Club are worth going to just for the people-watching. Whether they're a good deal or not depends on if you're an educated consumer and can exercise some discipline against impulse purchases.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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Do not expect knowledgeable salespeople. While many of these stores pride themselves on having friendly employees, there's no question that they keep their costs low by employing minimum-wage labor. If you haven't already done some comparison shopping, you probably won't be able to make an informed purchase.
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Understand the annual fee required by most warehouse stores. If you don't plan to use the store frequently it probably isn't worth joining. With an annual fee of $35, you will need to spend about $260 before you begin to see any savings at all, compared to regular grocery stores.
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Compare price tags. On average, the prices at a warehouse store are lower than at most other stores. But that's not a guarantee that all prices are lower. Some stores will advertise a very low price on a few items, then hope you'll assume all prices are low. Unless you've checked the prices somewhere else, you can't assume you're saving any money. And popular brand name goods at a warehouse store are frequently more expensive than generic goods at a regular grocery store.
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Be aware that inventory may change rapidly and if you spot something you need, get it. Many items are in a one-time shipment.
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Resist impulse buying. "The more you buy, the more you save" is a big, fat tempting lie. Buying and saving are two different things. If you buy something you don't need, you're not saving anything, you're wasting. See How to Be a Savvy Consumer.
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Get deep savings on big ticket items like electronics, furnishings and appliances if you know what you need. On the other hand, don't compromise on style, color or quality just to save on something that may not fit with the rest of your house.
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Bring cash, a checkbook, a debit card or a Discover card. Most clubs don't accept credit cards.
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Pay attention to rebates. In order to get the full benefit from a warehouse store you have to follow through with the rebate mail-ins that apply to some purchases. Know the procedure for collecting your rebate and be sure to get the proper forms.
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Tips & Warnings
Warehouse stores offer film processing, pharmacies, carpet sales and installation, automotive services and other features to enhance membership benefits.
If you run a small business or plan to shop a lot, get an executive card that returns 2 percent of your expenditures at the end of the year.
Warehouse stores offer excellent deals on seasonal items like patio furniture and barbecue grills. They also have very good deals on popular books, CDs and DVDs.
Costco (costco.com) and Sam's Club (samsclub.com) both have online stores.
Some clubs offer temporary passes so you can browse the selections before you join. If you buy anything with the temporary pass, you'll need to pay an additional 5 to 10 percent.
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Comments
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justpatricia
Feb 13, 2009
Unit prices don't phase me anymore. I use HandyShopper and can calculate on the spot which is the better buy in milliseconds. I say having a database on hand is crucial to know if a price is good or not. With most of us carrying pda's and phones with the same capabilities these days, why not make it pay for itself? I have built my list over years so I can tell at any time what I last paid for ANYTHING and at what stores. -
Jun 30, 2006
Unit pricing is often confusing and inconsistent. The beer section at Costco has some products unit priced per ounce, and others per bottle, which makes it very difficult to compare prices. Similarly, things like dish soap or cooking oil might be per ounce for one item and per liter for another. It's nearly impossible to do the math while shopping without a calculator. Also, many food products are in extremely different sizes than one is familiar with -- numbers like 67 ounces rather than 64, or 92 rather than 96, which also makes it very difficult to compare prices to what you might usually know for the same item.
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Jan 26, 2006
As a Costco employee, I must disagree with the statement about employees being underpaid to keep costs down. It is a fact that Costco employees are paid and treated very well. We are all very knowledgeable, and if we cannot help you, we find someone who can.
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Jan 26, 2006
As a Costco employee, I must disagree with the statement about employees being underpaid to keep costs down. It is a fact that Costco employees are paid and treated very well. We are all very knowledgeable, and if we cannot help you, we find someone who can.
