Costco, sam’s club or amazon prime: which retail club is best?

Amazon has one big advantage here, says Daniel Howard, professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business: With its Prime Wardrobe program, you get a

seven-day try-on period for up to eight items and free return shipping for items you don't want to keep. Prime is also a good bet for name-brand fashion, kids clothing and sneakers,

budgeting expert Andrea Woroch says. For office wear, she gives high marks to Costco's private label, Kirkland Signature, especially for men's button-down shirts (she says her

husband is a big fan). For blue-collar attire like work pants and flannel shirts, Sam's Club may have a slight edge in price and availability, according to Cohen. ELECTRONICS Amazon has

always had terrific deals on laptops, printers and TVs, perhaps because of the vast variety it offers, says Woroch. It's also her go-to for tech accessories like charging cords and

phone, tablet and laptop cases. Costco and Sam's both offer great electronics deals, but rarely on the exact same models, so it can be very difficult for consumers to compare their

prices, Cohen says. For the best pricing on most electronics, it's hard to find better deals than on Amazon during super-competitive Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Bodge says.

ENTERTAINMENT For sheer range, Amazon is hard to beat. Prime Video offers unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows. Prime members also get Amazon Music, with access to more

than 2 million songs. (For an extra monthly fee you can subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited, which includes more than 60 million tracks.) Reflecting Amazon's origins as a virtual

bookstore, no one else compares for variety and selection of literary matter, Bodge says. But you'll often find better deals on individual titles at Costco or Sam's, which often

slash prices on books recently off the best-seller list and carry special editions specifically published for warehouse club discounts, Cohen says. FOOD With their bulk deals, Sam's

Club and Costco can offer better value for your money than Amazon on a wide range of groceries, especially nonperishable foods like tuna, beans, peanut butter, canned soup and boxed rice

that you can buy in large quantities without worrying that they'll spoil, Woroch says. Another plus: “Discovery is better at the wholesale clubs,” since you can walk in and see the

products for yourself, says Bodge. Both chains have house brands that shoppers really love, Cohen says — Kirkland Signature at Costco, Member's Mark at Sam's Club. She says Costco

is also good at tailoring food inventory for local markets (great kosher selections at its store on New York's Upper East Side, for example). And, of course, its $4.99 rotisserie

chicken is beloved nationwide. That said, if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can get free Amazon Fresh grocery delivery in some areas with a minimum purchase that varies by region

(often, but not always, above $35). The Amazon Fresh selection can include products from Amazon-owned Whole Foods, but deliveries are sourced from warehouse locations. There's a

distinct service for Whole Foods customers: Personal shoppers fulfill your order at the nearest store and deliver it for free in specific markets to Prime members who spend more than $35.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY For replenishing supplies of your day-in, day-out products, Costco and Sam's get the edge because of their value pricing for large quantities, Cohen says. Amazon may

be better if you frequently try new things, she says: “I'm going to be able to buy it in a small amount so I don't have to buy a whole case."