Warehouse clubs are popular in the United States. Also called wholesale clubs, annual membership for the three major brands is roughly 122 million people.
This is one instance in which you should follow the crowd. Joining a wholesale club helps reduce your annual grocery bill. Better yet, buying in bulk improves your quality of life as it reduces the number of times you need to go shopping.
Read on to learn why you should get a membership to a warehouse club. Explore the perks of membership and what types of items are available at a huge discount.
Wholesale Club Basics
Wholesale clubs are stores that allow you to shop in bulk. They require a membership to participate in the deals.
The three major wholesale clubs are BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club. For about $40 to $60 per year, you can purchase a store membership and shop at one of these stores.
Wholesale clubs also offer premier memberships. They provide additional perks to help you achieve even more cost savings.
Cost Savings
The primary reason that people join a wholesale club is to save money. Buying in bulk offers shoppers a significant discount. You can acquire items at similar prices to what retailers pay when you buy items in bulk.
The numbers do not lie when it comes to cost savings. At the three major wholesale clubs, prices are 29% to 33% cheaper than supermarket prices.
These savings add up over the course of a year. A family that spends $150 per week at the supermarket could save approximately $2500 per year.
Other Benefits
Besides cost, there are many other benefits to getting a wholesale club membership. Many people mistakenly believe that wholesale clubs only sell food. The truth is that they do so much more.
For example, wholesale clubs have great prices on auto products. It is a great place to get discounted tires.
They also have health care services. Wholesale clubs provide wellness screenings for cholesterol, vision, blood pressure, and more. There is also a pharmacy with discounted prices on prescription drugs.
The major three companies tailor their business model around specific customer groups. For example, Costco hours for seniors are available to reduce Covid-19 risk and allow them a stress-free shopping experience.
One of the main benefits of buying a wholesale club membership is time. By shopping in bulk you are significantly reducing your total shopping time. This means more time with the family and less time in line at the store.
Wholesale clubs also help you purchase things that are not for sale in the store. Insurance plans and travel packages are just two examples of discounted items.
