- At first glance, Costco and Sam's Club appear quite similar.
- Taking a closer look uncovers several significant distinctions in the customer demographics of these two brands.
- For example, Numerator data indicates wealthy urban shoppers are more likely to be members of Costco than Sam's Club.
At first glance, Costco and Sam's Club appear quite similar.
Both are sprawling warehouses stocked with palletized displays of bulk goods at bargain prices. Both charge an annual membership fee to access the deals. Both were directly inspired by pioneering businessman Sol Price 's original club stores.
Yet, upon closer examination of consumer information, significant distinctions become apparent in the demographic makeup of the customers for these two brands.
To begin with, the average Costco customer spends almost double what they would at Sam's Club annually and frequents the store over 50% more often, based on data from 2024. data as reported by the data analysis company Numerator.
A regular Costco customer tends to visit around 32 times annually and spends approximately $3,086 in total, whereas a usual Sam's Club visitor goes there roughly 20 times a year and spends about $1,583 over the course of a year, as reported by studies. Numerator.
When considering their total retail spending, Costco customers allocate approximately one-eighth of their money towards warehouse purchases. This figure stands out as being nearly 65% above the national average for the U.S.
That wallet share is a bit lower for the typical Sam's Club member, who spends about one in 12 of their dollars at wholesale clubs — still higher than the US average by about 13%.
Costco shoppers also tend to be wealthier — earning more than $125,000 household income on average — while Sam's Club shoppers tend to have more mid-range incomes of between $40,000 and $125,000. Even so, Sam's Club members are slightly more likely to be homeowners than Costco members, Numerator finds.
And while both chains are unsurprisingly popular in the suburbs, Sam's Club is more popular among rural households and Costco has more strength with city dwellers, according to Numerator.
The information shows that both store chains are similarly preferred by customers identifying as white. However, Walmart-owned Sam's Club has a slight edge with customers who identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino.
At the same time, Costco has gained exceptional popularity among Asian-identifying households, which are almost two times more likely to shop there compared to an average retailer.
Customers at Costco show significantly higher interest in organic products compared to those at Sam's Club.
Regarding age demographics, customers at Sam's Club tend to be somewhat older compared to those at Costco, although members from Generation X equally favor both retailers.
Gina Logan, an analyst from Kantar Retail, informed Business Insider that Generation Z and Alpha consumers are progressively finding club stores more appealing, potentially lowering the typical age of customers for these chains.
In 2024, Sam's Club made significant strides with the introduction of new AI-driven checkout systems and further innovations. launch of its inaugural new store in seven years .
Sam's Club also succeeded in acquiring the leading position. highest position for consumer contentment in retail From long-time champion Costco earlier this year.
Finally, both chains are observing an impressive beginning to 2025 , with visits up more than 7% from last year — double the increases for Walmart and Target — according to foot traffic data from Placer.ai .
Numerator's data indicates nearly half of American households shop at either Costco or Sam's Club at least once in the past year, underscoring that US shoppers love finding a good deal .
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