SAMS CLUB looks like a warehouse, with pallets stacked high against the walls and items sitting out in cases instead of on shelves. It is a huge store, with a huge inventory. Of course, you have to be a member to get such great bargains. Yearly fees range from $40 to $100.
Forty-six million members shop at SAMS CLUB superstores, which are scattered across North America, including Canada and Mexico. While this may have been what Sam Walton was hoping when he started SAMS CLUB in 1983, he certainly could not have anticipated the magnitude of the stores impact.
An average SAMS CLUB store offers more than 100,000 square feet of inventory space. Because of the unfinished atmosphere, SAMS CLUB can afford to offer their members low prices on more than 4,000 items, including food, electronics, clothing, jewelry, furniture and sporting goods. They even sell automobiles and other vehicles.
It is easy to join SAMS CLUB. You can sign up for a membership at your nearest SAMS CLUB store, or you can complete the process online. You will need to provide your name, address and other contact information, as well as pay the yearly fee . If you want to shop online at the SAMS CLUB website, you will need to register your membership on the website as well.
There are four different SAMS CLUB Membership levels available: Advantage and Advantage PLUS memberships are for individuals; Business and Business PLUS memberships are for small businesses. In order to qualify for the Business membership, you need a valid business or tax permit.
SAMS CLUB provides a number of additional services and savings to its members. For Advantage members, you will get savings and deals on home, auto and health insurance, travel services, roadside assistance, pharmacy prescriptions, long-distance phone service, and even getting a mortgage. Business memberships can also save on direct mailing services, check printing and merchant credit card processing.
For those who want to watch their savings grow along with their credit rating, SAMS CLUB offers members the opportunity to apply for the SAMS CLUB credit card. With either Advantage or Business memberships, you can earn up to 2% cash back with all purchases, including non-Club purchases. You can also earn cash back at any store that takes the Discover card. You also have the option of receiving travel miles instead of cash back. Members can also apply for a personal credit card, which can be used at both SAMS CLUB and Wal-Mart stores.
Finally, SAMS CLUB offers members access to their
auto, boat and RV program. This service helps members find new and used vehicles at a discount. Through a partnership with RoadLoans, SAMS CLUB members can now also enjoy instant approval for financing without going through a bank or a credit union, avoiding the hassle of having to deal with high interest rates and long approval processes. Once members drive their new cars home, SAMS CLUB continues to offer them benefits through savings on service and maintenance of their vehicle.
Some would argue that the biggest benefit of a SAMS CLUB membership is not in the cost or the variety of products and services available, but the pure convenience. Nowhere else in the world a family of six get a months worth of food, an entire wardrobe, and a new car, all in one place, while still having enough left over to splurge on a family night out.
