Trying to figure out if Walmart is a wholesale club?
Wholesale clubs are known to offer many products at lower prices, something that Walmart also does.
Below, we explain if Walmart is considered a wholesale club or not!
Is Walmart a Wholesale Club?
Walmart is not a wholesale club. Wholesale clubs, such as Sam’s Club and Costco, often charge annual membership fees for customers who want to shop at their stores. These stores allow small business owners and bargain-hunting customers to buy in bulk, often for low prices.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Walmart is not a wholesale club, though they do own Sam’s Club, which is a wholesale club.
- Wholesale clubs, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, charge their customers annual memberships.
- Wholesale clubs offer items in bulk at low cost.
Are there any similarities between Walmart and wholesale clubs?
Keep reading to find out!
What Is a Wholesale Club?
A wholesale club often sets up shop in a huge, warehouse-type setting where they offer customers the chance to buy items in bulk at low prices.
They have a small number of unique items in bulk when compared to retail stores, which tend to have quite a lot of unique items.
Wholesale clubs often also charge their customers annual membership fees. Without these memberships, people cannot shop at wholesale clubs.
Many small business owners enjoy shopping at wholesale clubs, as they can purchase the items they need in bulk. This tends to be cheaper than if they bought all of the items individually elsewhere.
Many bargain-hunting customers also enjoy shopping at wholesale clubs. Buying in bulk at these stores often results in customers receiving a deal and saving money.
Families, especially large families, also benefit when shopping at wholesale clubs. Again, buying in bulk here just tends to result in the saving of money for many!
What Is the Difference Between Walmart and a Wholesale Club?
Walmart does not charge their customers membership fees, while wholesale clubs do. Anybody could walk into Walmart and buy whatever they wanted. One cannot do this at a wholesale club.
Walmart also tends to have much more products than wholesale clubs do.
Though Walmart has family or value packs of many of its items, they often do not sell their items in bulk. Selling bulk items is the main component of wholesale clubs, so Walmart differs from them greatly here.
Examples of Wholesale Clubs
The best examples of wholesale clubs in the United States include:
- Sam’s Club
- Costco
- BJ’s
These are the three biggest wholesale clubs in the country at the moment. Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart. BJ’s, meanwhile, tends to only be located on the East Coast!
Is Walmart a Wholesale Store?
No, Walmart is not a wholesale store. Walmart is considered a retail store that offers a variety of different products at a low cost.
Walmart does not charge annual membership fees. They also do not offer bulk items for sale. As a result, they are not considered wholesale stores.
Conclusion
Walmart and wholesale stores, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, differ greatly. Wholesale clubs require customers to pay an annual membership fee — something Walmart does not do.
Instead, customers can walk into Walmart and buy whatever they want with no membership fee.
Wholesale clubs also sell most of their items in bulk. Walmart again differs from these stores, as they don’t sell bulk items — though they do sell family or value pack items!