Costco vs. Sam's Club, Part II: Which Store Has the Better Deals on Summer Produce?
Summer fruits and vegetables are best enjoyed while they are in season. But purchasing fresh berries, tomatoes and watermelon can be challenging because prices can vary from store to store.
Costco and Sam’s Club both offer bulk produce at competitive prices, making them popular choices for shoppers. Comparing these summer produce deals can help you decide which warehouse club delivers the better value.
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Here's a look at even more produce comparisons between the two chains.
Strawberries
Costco price: $4.53
Sam’s Club price: $3.97
Costco offers two pounds of strawberries in a plastic container. About half of the customer reviews said that the strawberries taste great and the other half are unsatisfied with the product due to spoilage.
Sam’s Club carries two pounds of Driscoll’s or Naturipe brand strawberries. A lot of reviewers like the reliable Driscoll’s brand, but others complain about the strawberries being overripe or not ripe enough. Still other reviewers discussed finding white mold on the strawberries.
While it is best to examine the strawberries before buying, some containers may still have a few overripe berries. Sam’s Club has the advantage. The two-pound containers are comparable in size, but Sam's Club costs 28 cents less per pound.
Seedless Watermelon
Costco price: $7.93 each
Sam’s Club price: $5.97 each
The seedless watermelon at Costco was not a big hit with four out of six shoppers. Reviews mentioned the seedless watermelons were slimy, not ripe and tasteless.
55% of customer reviewers were satisfied with Sam’s Club’s seedless watermelon. They praised the rich red color, the juicy sweetness of the watermelon and said it was a good value.
Sam’s Club seems to be the best place to shop for seedless watermelon. Shoppers can save $1.96 per watermelon.
Raspberries
Costco price: $6.80
Sam’s Club price: $6.52
Two out of four reviews spoke of being unsatisfied with the Costco 12-ounce container of raspberries. They noted that while the top layer looked nice, the layer underneath was moldy and mushy.
74% of Sam’s Club reviewers found Driscoll’s raspberries to be sweet and delicious with very few of the berries being mushy. One reviewer found the raspberries at Sam’s Club to be reliably fresh.
Driscoll’s 12-ounce clamshell of raspberries at Sam’s Club was the winner and cost 28 cents less than the same-size clamshell of raspberries at Costco.
Campari Tomatoes
Costco price: $5.21
Sam’s Club price: $5.47
Costco carries two-pound containers of Campari tomatoes. No reviews for the tomatoes were available.
81% of reviewers agreed that the two-pound container of Campari cocktail tomatoes from Sam’s Club were full of flavor and tasted homegrown.
Because Costco has no customer reviews, quality is difficult to compare. However, the two-pound containers are the same-size and Sam's Club costs 26 cents cheaper.
Sweet Corn
Costco price: $5.66 each
Sam’s Club price: $4.97 each
Costco sells single packages with eight ears of sweet corn. Shoppers have not left any reviews on this product.
Sam’s Club also sells an eight ear package of sweet corn. Reviewers gave it a rating of 4.3 out of 5 for its sweet flavor. Some reviewers had grilled the corn, cooked it in the oven or were able to freeze the remainder successfully.
71% of Sam’s Club reviewers were satisfied with the same-size package of sweet corn compared to no reviews from Costco. Costco’s sweet corn costs 69 cents more than Sam’s Club.
Blueberries
Costco price: $4.53
Sam’s Club price: $4.76
Three Costco reviewers enjoyed the taste of their blueberries.
The sweetness of Sam’s Club blueberries was mentioned by many of the 81% reviewers. They also mentioned the many ways to use the blueberries in recipes and as an addition to meals.
To shoppers, Sam’s Club 18-ounce containers of blueberries seem to be just as satisfactory as Costco’s 18-ounce plastic containers, but at 23 cents cheaper.
Costco vs. Sam’s Club Produce
Campari tomatoes and sweet corn did not have customer reviews from Costco to compare with similar produce from Sam's Club.
Overall, Sam's Club is the clear winner for summer produce, offering lower prices and more favorable customer reviews than Costco.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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