FOOD NEWS
Costco And Sam's Club Aren't Affordable As This Warehouse Grocery Store
BY Andi Prewitt
While Costco and Sam's Club are affordable warehouse grocery stores to stock up on bulk items, there's another option that could save you even more money: WinCo Foods.
This supermarket chain, which primarily operates in the American West, is similar to Costco and Sam's Club but doesn't require a membership for customers to begin shopping.
Annual membership fees are $65 or $130 a year at Costco and $50 or $110 annually at Sam's Club. No membership fees aren't the only draw Winco has.
The chain buys many of its items directly from manufacturers and farms, eliminating the need for a middleman to offer shoppers lower product prices.
Other cost-cutting measures include no advertising or marketing, having customers bag their own groceries, and prohibiting credit card payments to avoid hefty transaction fees.
The stores are also known for their sprawling bulk bin sections — most containing more than 800 products — resulting in lower prices per unit.