Costco vs. Sam’s Club: Which Has the Best Thanksgiving Deals?
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, families across the country are getting ready for the biggest meal of the year. For many, this means making multiple trips to warehouse clubs to get the best deals on everything they’ll need for the occasion.
In the realm of warehouse clubs, Costco and Sam’s Club reign supreme, but which one has the best Thanksgiving deals?
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“It’s going to be kind of dependent on what kinds of items you’re looking for, as both warehouse clubs will offer different items,” said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. “Additionally, pricing should be pretty similar for the most part, so finding the best deals is going to be subjective based on the kinds of things that are actually on an individual’s shopping list.”
That said, if you must choose between the two warehouse clubs to do all your shopping, you’re probably best off going with Costco.
“Costco for the most part seems like a better store to purchase Thanksgiving items, as it has more variety and more original items, while Sam’s Club carries a lot of standard processed brands,” Ramhold said.
Take a look at some of the deals and items you can get at these stores.
Appetizers at Costco
“I like Costco’s selection because it’s a lot of items that I might not be able to find elsewhere,” Ramhold said. “For example, large portions of baked brie with fig jam and chopped walnuts, which provides a really lovely appetizer perfect for holiday dinners.”
Desserts at Costco
“[Costco’s] selection of desserts can’t be beat, with things like pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and double crust apple pie available and plenty to feed a crowd,” Ramhold said. “Prices will vary, with the pumpkin cheesecake priced around $18, the pumpkin pie for $6.55, and the apple pie for around $16.39 at Costco; meanwhile, at Sam’s Club you likely won’t even be able to find these items, at least not currently.”
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Kirkland Signature Side Dishes at Costco
“It’s also a good place to purchase side items like Kirkland Signature mac and cheese, and mashed sweet potatoes, although similar versions can also be found at Sam’s Club,” Ramhold said. “However, even in those cases, Costco has a better value; for example, it charges about $3.82 per pound for mac and cheese, while Sam’s Club charges $4.25 per pound.”
Turkeys at Costco
“While whole bone-in turkeys might not be quite available yet, going off of last year’s prices, Costco was still a better place to purchase, as it had Butterball turkeys for only 99 cents per pound (they were free of antibiotics and steroids, as well) while Sam’s Club charged $1.44 per pound for similar birds,” Ramhold said.
Bread at Costco
“Fresh baked breads will be available at both stores, but Costco may end up being a cheaper bill once again,” Ramhold said. “For example, a twin pack of King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls (32 rolls in total) goes for around $8 at Sam’s Club, but at Costco the same amount is about $7.20. Costco will also have a bigger selection of fresh baked breads, usually; for instance, you can currently find baguettes, parmesan rosemary bread, a cranberry walnut round, country French bread, multigrain bread, and artisan rolls. At Sam’s Club, they seem to only have yeast dinner rolls for now.”
Flowers at Sam’s Club
Both Costco and Sam’s Club have ample selections of seasonal floral arrangements for sale, but it looks like you can actually score a better deal on flowers at Sam’s Club, which is selling Member’s Mark Farm Fresh Fall Flowers (17 or 26 stems) for $39.98 and $49.98, respectively. At Costco, the Thanksgiving Feast Cornucopia arrangement — which is lovely but scantier — goes for $59.99.
Shop Both Costco and Sam’s Club Pre-Black Friday Sales
Costco may be the clear winner when it comes to most Thanksgiving essentials, but don’t turn your nose up at Sam’s Club, which is rolling out mega discounts this month.
“Sam’s Club is having a November Instant Savings sale that runs almost all the way through to Thanksgiving weekend,” said Mackenzie Shand, Offers.com‘s savings and deals expert. “During this sale, shoppers can find great deals on groceries and household essentials, and more.”
Costco is also having a pre-Black Friday sale that runs through Nov. 13 and “allows members to save even more than they usually do when shopping at the warehouse retailer,” Shand said. “You can find deals on groceries and beyond.”
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Prices and availability are accurate as of Nov. 8, 2022, and are subject to change.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Costco vs. Sam’s Club: Which Has the Best Thanksgiving Deals?
