The Grocery Store Giant That Actually Owns Sam's Club

Out of all the warehouse club stores out there, you often hear of Costco and Sam's Club in the same sentence. Costco is a standalone company, but Sam's Club is actually owned by a corporation that you're well aware of: Walmart. It was launched in 1983 by four Walmart executives, Rob Voss, Dick Palmer, Mike Villines, and Clyde Hulett, at the behest of Walmart's founder, Sam Walton. The name "Sam's Club" refers to Walton, if you didn't pick that up just now.

Its original location was in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and it opened its doors on April 7, 1983. Over 40 years later, that store is still open today. Over the years, Sam's Club has added services you're now familiar with, such as gas pumps, product demonstrations, international locations in Mexico and China, as well as a cafe (it's hard not to compare this to Costco). It even joined in on the practice of offering cheap rotisserie chicken, which it continues today, undercutting Costco's chicken price by one cent, at $4.98 per bird. One thing's for sure: people love getting access to bulk pricing, as they know it'll save them money on staples that they'll be certain to use in the long run.

Although Sam's Club and Costco are inevitably going to be compared to each other, as they compete in the same warehouse club space, there are some key differences. One of the bigger, more attractive ones is the lower annual membership prices; a basic membership to Sam's Club will run you $50 per year, while Costco's is $65. Unlike Costco, Sam's Club also offers curbside pickup, and its cafes are open to the general public. (It is embarrassing to be denied access to Costco's food court without a membership; I learned that the hard way.)

Sam's Club also accepts a variety of payment services, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and more, whereas Costco restricts you to a Visa-only policy. It's little things like that which differentiate the Walmart-owned chain from the other warehouse club giant, and not everyone has a Costco location nearby, either. But if that color scheme, font usage, and general vibe feel familiar to you, there's a reason. Sam's Club and Walmart are like a parent and child, belonging to the same family.