A warehouse club is a general merchandise retailer who offers a limited assortment of inventory, usually selling in bulk and offering a shopping experience with no frills. The clubs usually do not have bags available to carry purchases, even at an additional cost, although many do offer boxes you can organize your purchases in for transportation. Warehouse clubs offer a wide range of products, from clothing to books to groceries and more. Their business model is to sell items that are fast moving which means they may not have a variety of brands and many of the products they sell are in very large quantities. For instance, you may not be able to buy one or two rolls of paper towels but will have to buy 10 to 12.

Warehouse clubs sell items in bulk which can save money. When you purchase a larger quantity of one item, the price per ounce is usually lower. It may seem counterintuitive, but the truth is the more you purchase at once, the more you save. As a member of a warehouse club, you will also likely get monthly coupons that will help you save even more money on the items you purchase. Not only can a warehouse club save you money on everyday items, but they can also help you save on larger items like televisions, vacations, tires and more. If your local warehouse store has a pharmacy, their prices are often lower than other pharmacies in your area as well.

There are things to keep in mind before purchasing a warehouse club membership. Keep in mind that you will likely have to buy things in larger quantities. Although this will not make a difference with cleaning supplies, paper goods or other items, perishable foods and medications are a different story. It is fine to save money on five pounds of potatoes, but if you only use a pound before they go bad, you really didn’t save much. Keep in mind that some warehouse store items are not cheaper than your local grocery store, so be sure to comparison shop. Also remember that you will need space to store anything you purchase. If you do not have storage for a 12-roll pack of paper towels, it may not be worthwhile to purchase them.

Most warehouse clubs do not offer special discounts for senior citizens for membership. However, most warehouse clubs do offer special discounts for new members. If you have never been a member of a warehouse club, you could sign up for the first year at a significantly reduced cost. Many offer discounts to veterans and active duty military personnel, so if you were in the service, you could save money on your warehouse club discount. One benefit that many warehouse stores offer is special shopping hours for senior citizens. This began during the pandemic to allow older adults to shop when fewer people were in the stores. Many have continued those hours for people over a certain age.

In the United States, there are three major warehouse chains, each with their own benefits for senior citizens. Below are the differences between the BJ’s, Costco and Sam’s Club so that you can make the best choice for your needs:

• Membership Cost – Sam’s Club has the lowest membership fee, followed by BJ’s and then Costco. They do sometimes offer three trials and, as mentioned, new members usually get a reduced membership fee.
• Rewards Programs – although all three offer rewards programs, they are not free to customers. BJ’s Perks Rewards requires you to use a BJ’s Perks Mastercard and offers five percent back with the Elite card or three percent with the Perks Plus card on purchases. The cards also offer ten cents off a gallon of gas and cash back at places other than BJ’s. Costco offers an Executive Membership for $110 a year and also gives you two percent back. However, the rewards are capped at $1,000 per year. Sam’s Cash which costs $100 per year receive 2 percent spent cash back, free shipping and early shopping.
• Nonmember Surcharges – If you want to shop in a warehouse store without spending the money for membership, there is a surcharge at checkout. Costco charges five percent, Sam’s Club charges 10 percent while BJ’s charges 15 percent.
• Shopping Experience – Consumer Reports found that Costco was the highest rated in customer experience over Sam’s Club. The survey did not include BJ’s. Another survey compared Amazon, Kohl’s and Costco, finding that Costco ranked at 79 percent among respondents.
• Coupons and sales – BJ’s is the only one of the three that accepts manufacturers coupons. BJ’s offers online flash sales and sends out monthly coupon booklets to members. Sam’s Club offers online auctions which can also save a considerable amount of money.
• Food costs – there is not a significant difference in food prices among the three warehouse stores. One survey found Costco to be slightly cheaper than Sam’s Club, but BJ’s was not included in the survey.

If you are already a member of a warehouse club or are considering purchasing a membership, be sure to sign up for BestSeniorDiscounts.com to save on your membership costs. We have searched for the best discounts and made them available in one location. There is no membership fee, and you can begin saving immediately.