Walmart Vs Costco In 2022 (Prices, Products, Services + More)
Walmart’s current logo since 2008
|
|
Walmart Home Office (headquarters) in December 2012
|
|
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Type |
Public |
|
ISIN |
US9311421039 |
| Industry |
Retail |
| Founded |
|
| Founder |
Sam Walton |
| Headquarters |
,
U.S.
|
|
Number of locations
|
 10,593 stores worldwide (January 31, 2022) [2] [3] |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
|
Key people
|
|
| Products |
Supermarket , Hypermarket , Superstore , Convenience shop |
| Services | |
| Revenue |
US$ 559.2 billion (2020) [4] |
|
US$22.55 billion (2020) [4] |
|
|
US$13.70 billion (2020) [4] |
|
|
Total assets |
US$252.5 billion (2020) [4] |
|
Total equity |
US$87.53 billion (2020) [4] |
| Owner |
Walton family (50.85%) [5] |
|
Number of employees
|
2,300,000 (Jan. 2021) [4] U.S.: 1,600,000 |
|
Divisions |
|
|
Subsidiaries |
List of subsidiaries |
| Website |
walmart.com |
|
Footnotes / references [6] [7] [8] |
|
In retail there has never been such fierce competition. The customers also benefit from reduced prices and greater choice.
It can be difficult to know where you should shop and which stores are right for your family.
You might not know which Costco or Walmart store you want if you’re given the choice.
Below is the Walmart Vs Costco comparison. It includes everything, from company history to product information to pricing and customer service to investment ideas.
Walmart has 11,000 shops in 27 countries. It is quite well-known.
It was founded in 1960 by Sam Walton. Although it has its headquarters in Arkansas, the company has expanded far beyond its Southern roots.
Walmart, which has been publicly traded since 1997, operates Sam’s Club warehouses and plans to enter the financial sector.
Costco Wholesale Corporation, also known simply as Costco, was formed in 1976. But, until 1983 it was named Price Club.
While the multinational has more than 800 stores across 13 countries, it calls Issaquah home in Washington.
Costco’s warehouse-style discount pricing model allows them to compete directly with Walmart’s Sam’s Club stores and BJ’s Warehouse.
Costco, one of the most important retailers in America, has an estimated net worth of $80 billion.
First, Costco and Walmart have different entry procedures.
Costco requires a membership fee to be eligible for it. The annual cost is $60, or $120 if you are enrolled in the Gold Star Executive program.
Walmart does not charge membership fees. Customers can simply walk in and shop.
The first time you go into Costco and Walmart, it feels almost like the other.
The first is that both Costco and Walmart have incredible square footage.
With all that space, you can create extra-wide aisles for carts that can hold lots of goods. Ceilings can feel impossiblely high.
However, layouts dramatically diverge from there.
Walmart stores follow at most one or two different layouts. However, Supercenters have grocery and other goods on their own sides.
Costco stores make use of all that vertical space by stacking stock sky-high, but their layout has also been subject to analysis by retail experts.
Costco worked with designers to develop an anti-anxiety environment which guides customers through their store.
These gentle herding techniques, which lead shoppers by strategically placing products, encourage them to spend as much as possible.
Costco stores are warehouses, so products can be bought in bulk.
It may surprise you that Costco has only around 4,000 products, for as large as they are.
Walmart sells items individually (though some items come in bulk packaging). A single Walmart store can carry as many as 142,000 items.
It is important to consider these factors when choosing which shop to visit, especially if it’s only one stop.
Is your family large or do you just need to have more? Costco. Is it more variety you like or are you more loyal to certain brands? Walmart may be the better option.
Below is a list of very similar departments in both stores.
Departments:
Walmart’s stores often have craft departments, which still sell fabric by the bolt.
Costco stores additionally sell a variety of pre-made gift baskets with their floral department.
Walmart sells a larger selection of pre-prepared food: fried chicken and side dishes, as well as hot meals.
Costco offers a food court that serves hot dogs, pizzas as well as smoothies and ice cream at low prices.
Obviously, big-chain retailers would not be complete without exclusive brands and labels.
After all, this is part of the business model that keeps prices so low.
These are the most well-known and loved Walmart brands.
Costco has one major private label brand: Kirkland.
Kirkland gets its name after a Washington suburb where an old store once stood.
Most shoppers are motivated by the price, particularly when it comes down to stocking up on food and other necessities.
Which grocery store is more affordable for staple groceries?
Gina Zakaria for Money.com did a price comparison between the two giant retailers and found that, on the whole, Costco prices were cheaper than Walmart’s.
Costco has a lower price per unit of ounces or pounds, but you can’t buy as much.
If you buy the cheaper Costco shredded cheese and forget to put away the rest of the pound, it’s a waste.
Walmart and Costo both offer additional services in-store in the form of pharmacies, banking, vision centers, and photo printing.
Walmart shops offer both auto services and some stores also have attached garages. These are used for oil changes and tires services.
Costco, on the other side, connects customers to partnered shops for auto parts and provides discounts on these services. Some stores also provide propane tank refill and gas stations.
Costco may also partner with other companies for services like mortgage purchase, flooring, or solar installation.
After polling more than 62,000 shoppers, American Customer Satisfaction Index(ACSI) published its 2019 findings.
Costco won the customer satisfaction category. Forbes.com highlighted Costco’s customer-first culture as an important reason.
Walmart scored 74/100, which is lower than Costco’s score at 83/100. It was not a terrible score but it was among the lowest.
MarketWatch released an article, “4 Reasons Walmart in America is Most Hated Retailer” Yikes.
This is what I have experienced. It’s rare to receive service with a smile, and employees have treated me in a hostile manner at the desk.
Walmart has an exceptional return policy. It allows you to exchange your item for store credit within 90-days of receipt.
Electronics, tobacco, alcohol, cigarettes, batteries and tires are the only exceptions. Custom-ordered items like personalized mugs is also allowed.
Costco can take the item back, even without a receipt.
See here for Costco’s complete return policy.
Walmart and Costco are two different companies that tell different stories if you think good wages should be considered part of an organization’s ethical footprint.
Walmart has approximately 2.2 million employees around the world. In the U.S., their base wages start at $11.
Although it is more than the $7.25 federal minimum wage, this is still a difficult income, particularly for a single-income household.
Walmart announced recently that they are “bumping up” wages in order to pay the hourly average $15. However, words count.
About 425,000 Americans will begin earning $13/hour. This increases the overall average, and not the baseline wage.
Costco on the other side, pays employees well. They recently raised their starting wage to $16/hr.
Costco or Walmart might be a good option if your goal is to have a discount retailer included in your investment portfolio.
James Brumley (The Motley Fool) believes Walmart has the best horse in the race.
Walmart’s stock prices and valuations, the absence of Costco membership pricing (which is predicted to increase), as well adaptability are his strong arguments for choosing Walmart over Costco.
Now that you know about Walmart vs. Costco, you can also read our related posts on how much Walmart pays stockers, 33 Walmart statistics, and 23 Costco statistics.
Walmart and Costco embody the saying “different strokes for different folks” to me, because while they compete for discount dollars, they offer divergent experiences.
Costco remains the better option for larger families, shopping for a party or event or when you’re looking to stock up once or twice a month.
Walmart has many great features, including low prices and easy access to the stores.
Is Costco More Expensive Than Walmart?
Gina Zakaria from Money.com performed a price comparison and discovered that Costco was generally more affordable than Walmart. Costco may be cheaper per unit or an ounce of pound, but it will force you to purchase more.
Are Costco Products Cheaper Than Walmart?
Is it cheaper to shop at Walmart or Costco? Costco or Walmart?
Is Costco Better Than Walmart?
Costco has products that are of better quality than Walmart. They also offer superior in-store services at a lower price. However, they do sell bulk items so it is generally agreed that Costco’s prices will be higher. Walmart is usually the better choice when buying products on a budget, especially for groceries and electronics.
How do Costco and Walmart differ?
Costco uses fees to make bulk sales and collects from its members. Walmart on the other hand, is a more traditional retailer with a goal to bring down prices.
.Walmart Vs Costco In 2022 (Prices, Products, Services + More)