Winco vs Costco- Membership for Both of Them

2020 has taught us many lessons and some of them are buying things in bulk. Winco has huge facilities, almost as big as Costco, but both of them are not the same store, even if it might seem so. Winco is considered a typical retail grocer that specializes in selling veggies and fruits, whereas Costco is a warehouse wholesale where one can buy both groceries and lifestyle products. The topic is ‘Winco vs Costco’.

Winco vs Costco

Costco is cheaper than Winco when it comes to buying meat and poultry products. For instance, the rotisserie chicken at Costco retails at $4.99, and at Winco, the same product retails for a whopping $5.48. At the same time, Costco is also extremely cheap when it comes to buying home goods.

Membership

Membership For Costco

To shop at Costco, one must have a membership, or they will not be able to shop there. They have three tiers of membership levels, the most basic one retails at $60 and the highest-ranking tier costs $120. But, Costco does offer a satisfaction guarantee, so you will be able to save more money there in the longer run.

If you are not satisfied with Costco’s membership or the goods they offer, you can always get a refund. Costco knows that not everybody can afford a $60 membership, so they do offer a lot of discounts for the same, for students, veterans and military officials, and medical health workers. 

Students can get a membership discount of $20, and the military and their families can get a membership for just $30. Only opt for a Costco membership if you think you can get the best use out of a $60 membership fee. 

Membership For Winco

However, Winco does not require a membership, so you can shop there without a card. Anyone can just walk in there and shop like it is a regular old grocery shop or a supermarket. But to avoid credit transaction fees, Winco does not accept credit cards, but they do accept debit cards. 

So if you are a person that shops exclusively with a credit card and does not carry cash, then Winco might not be the best option for you. Unlike Costco, Winco requires you to bag your groceries as well. 

Price Matching In Winco And Costco

Price Matching In Costco

Costco does not offer price matching on its goods. But there is an exception on their promotional items since they will be able to adjust their prices and will then issue a credit on what the difference between the two goods is. They will be issuing a credit return within the next 3-5 days of the purchase, and this will be valid for the next 30 days. 

Price Matching In Winco

Just like Costco, Winco does not offer price matching but to maintain a certain level of competition, they may offer price matching at some select locations, especially if it is an employee-owned store, according to Winco’s official website.

Typically, a pack of 30 toilet paper rolls retails at $24.99. However, as the branding suggests, Winco is much cheaper for fresh produce when compared to Costco. Since Winco allows the customers to pay by weight for pantry staples like oats and flour, this is the better choice for buying produce. 

Benefits Of Winco And Costco

Benefits Of Winco 

Winco has consistently good prices, over leading competing chains such as Walmart, especially for their price points. Some recent consumer surveys rank Winco to be cheaper than Costco itself! Plus, you don’t need a membership to get in. 

Since you can buy items by weight at Winco, it is much easier on the pocket, unlike Costco where you need to buy items by the set quantity. Buying goods and perishables by weight is much cheaper and better for your pocket since it is less likely to spoil sooner. 

Benefits Of Costco

According to the Consumer Survey reports, Costco is one of the top 13 chains of stores that are the cheapest in the continental United States. You can also shop with your credit card in Costco

Costco can keep its prices consistent over the years. So that means while the prices of their competition increase, their price remains almost the same. The membership might be worth it if you shop at Costco often or you can get your money back if the produce at Costco is not up to your satisfaction level. 

Conclusion

Costco is great to buy non-perishables like toilet paper in bulk and Winco is great to buy products in a limited quantity. On average, Americans spend more than $550 on groceries per month, so that amounts to over $6000 per year just on groceries. But with the help of a membership of Costco or Winco, you will be able to save money since one can buy supplies in bulk. Buying things in bulk is usually cheaper when it comes to saving money.

Frequently Asked Questions 

  1. Where Can I Find Costco In The United States? 

Costco can be found at over 800 locations in the suburban United States. 

  1. Where Can I Find Winco In The United States? 

Winco has only 100 stores across the United States, in the pacific northwest, Arizona, Texas, and California. 

  1. What Is The Difference Between Costco Business Membership And Costco Gold Star Membership?

You get all the perks for the business membership as seen in the Gold Star membership at the same price, but you can resell the items from Costco in a Business membership. 

Winco vs Costco- Membership for Both of Them

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