Image Courtesy of Sam's Club
Following Costco’s recent move to tinker with its store hours, Sam’s Club announced that it will open two hours early and close two hours later on Sundays, among other expanded hours for Plus members.
The new hours will be to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. compared to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. previously, with Plus member shopping exclusive to 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The change stemmed from "overwhelming feedback" from members, Steven Zapata, director of corporate communications at Sam's Club, told USA Today.
Sam's Club's Plus members, the highest-tier membership level, will still get the perk of being able to shop earlier, although access on Sundays lasts from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. versus 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. previously.
Sam’s Club’s extended hours help the warehouse club somewhat compete against its parent, Walmart, which opens most its Supercenters from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Target’s hours run from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.
"Effective October 12, most clubs will move to a simplified schedule of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day," Sam's Club said in a statement.
However, the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours particularly stand out against its most direct competitor, Costco, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Sam's Club Move Positions it Against Costco
Last fall, Costco last summer extended its Saturday closing hours for all members to 7 p.m. from 6 p.m.
Costco also began opening its stores one hour early on weekdays and Sunday, and a half-hour early on Saturdays for Executive members, who pay $130 annual for benefits -- including an annual 2% reward on purchases and Instacart credits.
On a quarterly analyst call in September, Ron Vachris, Costco’s president and CEO, said the revised hours were designed to "increase value and convenience," with the warehouse club estimating the incremental hours added about 1% to weekly U.S. sales since implementation.
Vachris added that the new Executive early-arrival perk helped drive a "meaningful increase in upgrades" from Gold Star memberships. Costco saw 9.3% year-over-year jump in membership upgrades in the quarter.
B.J.’s Wholesale Club has the most customer-friendly hours among the major warehouse clubs, opening from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.