Sam’s Club has spent many years trying to make inroads with Costco’s large and largely satisfied customer base, mostly to little avail. But these days, Costco’s customers aren’t so satisfied, and Sam’s is making a move.
Costco members, recently traumatized by the card switchover kerfuffle which left many Costco card holders cardless, have the golden opportunity to shop for free at Sam’s through July 4.
And while this offer might not under normal circumstances mean much to Costco customers, who are usually incredibly happy to be shopping at Costco, the wholesale retailer is currently dealing with a large mob of angry customers who didn’t get their new Costco Citibank Visa before the Costco American Express card was shut down.
Sam’s has been pushing to steal from Costco for some time — most recently the wholesaler announced same-day delivery as part of its efforts to boost its customer base.
“Costco is, in its own way, as unstoppable as Amazon,” Columbia University retail studies professor Mark Cohen wrote in Forbes earlier this year. “Their stores throughout the world are among the most productive in the industry. And unlike most brick-and-mortar based retail businesses, seemingly untouched by customers’ stampede-like migration to the internet.”
Will it be enough? Well, that card problem would probably have to wear on for some time. For now though, turnabout is fair play, meaning it wouldn’t be shocking to see Costco turn the tables and offer Sam’s Club members the same privilege.
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