8 Reasons Sam’s Club Shoppers Feel the Store Isn’t What It Used To Be

For decades, Sam’s Club has been known for its affordable items, low-cost membership, and buy-in-bulk deals. It helps shoppers keep grocery costs low, freeing up room in their budgets to go out to eat more, save up for major purchases, or enjoy a night at the movies.

But Sam’s Club’s quality seems to be slipping lately — at least, according to certain shoppers logging their complaints on Reddit. Check out what they have to say below.

Most of us don’t expect to enter Sam’s Club and immediately encounter salespeople pushing AT&T plans or phone upgrades. But many shoppers report having that exact experience

“First you walk in and immediately have either AT&T or Verizon people push whatever down your throat,” wrote one customer. Another commented, “I plan my routes around the store around these people. I’m an expert at avoiding them.”

Sam’s Club is a bulk retailer, so shoppers assume the store’s discounts are deep enough to justify its membership cost. But several Redditors are sick of having to scour shelves to find prices that help make up for the annual fees.

“Some things are cheaper, but it is a bit of work to find those items,” one commenter opined, agreeing with another poster that Walmart is often cheaper.

While snacks are a great deal there, according to some, Sam’s Club doesn’t offer the same level of savings when it comes to fresh produce and protein options.

“Sam's may be a good value if you buy junk food in bulk,” says one shopper, but they point out Walmart is a better deal when “shopping for grocery items like chicken, beef, vegetables, [and] certain snacks.”

Sam’s Club seems to be moving away from registers and toward app-based checkouts only, and people are frustrated.

One new member was surprised to find “it’s self-checkouts only” on their first visit, citing it as one key reason they won’t be returning.

Others point out that eliminating cashiers disadvantages senior shoppers, cash-only shoppers, and anyone else who can’t or prefers not to use their phone to shop in person.

Sam’s Club is known for its affordable members-only gas prices, but in the words of one Redditor, “you generally pay for the gas at Sam’s Club in terms of waiting time.”

Another put it mathematically: “I don’t get the people waiting in the long Sam’s Club gas line ($4.19) when most stations are $4.25. You are sitting with [your] engine idling for 20 minutes to save less than $1.”

While it’s not unusual to see employees of any retailer — not just Sam’s Club — worrying online about their store’s staffing problems, when customers regularly bring up the lack of workers in their own online complaints, the problem has clearly gotten too big to ignore.

“Definitely seems that way at my store,” wrote one Redditor, while another user sarcastically wrote, “Sam’s Club.....has staff? Since when?!”

In threads about what not to buy at Sam’s Club, the answer is almost always a resounding “produce.”

Several commenters agree that “Produce is more expensive at Sam’s,” pointing out that produce prices are often better at Walmart.

Per one shopper, “Their non-refrigerated produce goes bad super fast. Often you can't get a good look at all of [the produce] so the middle is already rotted. I normally have to toss nearly half every time I buy anything.”

The retailer switched up their cafe ingredients about a year ago — and most people aren’t happy about it.

“Ever since they changed from Nathan's to Member's Mark, the hot dogs have been terrible,” wrote one Reddit user. They added that the pizzas taste frozen rather than fresh, a sentiment several other commenters agreed with.

Are you among the many customers who no longer feel your Sam’s Club membership is worth the cost? Luckily for you, shopping at Sam’s Club isn’t the only way to save money on groceries.

Comparing prices at multiple stores to find the best deal, using a credit card that offers cash back on grocery store purchases, and choosing generic items over brand names are great ways to lower your overall grocery shopping bill.