Walmart Vs Costco In 2022 (Prices, Products, Services + More)
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Walmart’s current logo since 2008
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Walmart Home Office (headquarters) in December 2012
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Formerly |
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Type |
Public |
ISIN |
US9311421039 |
Industry |
Retail |
Founded |
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Founder |
Sam Walton |
Headquarters |
,
U.S.
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Number of locations
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![]() 10,593 stores worldwide (January 31, 2022) [2] [3] |
Area served
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Worldwide |
Key people
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Products |
Supermarket , Hypermarket , Superstore , Convenience shop |
Services | |
Revenue |
![]() US$ 559.2 billion (2020) [4] |
![]() US$22.55 billion (2020) [4] |
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![]() US$13.70 billion (2020) [4] |
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Total assets |
![]() US$252.5 billion (2020) [4] |
Total equity |
![]() US$87.53 billion (2020) [4] |
Owner |
Walton family (50.85%) [5] |
Number of employees
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2,300,000 (Jan. 2021) [4] U.S.: 1,600,000 |
Divisions |
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Subsidiaries |
List of subsidiaries |
Website |
walmart.com |
Footnotes / references [6] [7] [8] |
Retail has never been more competitive, with customers benefiting from lower prices and greater selection.
However, it is difficult to determine where to shop for the perfect products and services.
The choice to shop at Costco or Walmart might leave you confused as to which store will have what you are looking for.
Below is the Walmart Vs Costco comparison. It includes everything, from company history to product information to pricing and customer service to investment ideas.
Walmart, which has over 11,000 stores across 27 countries, is very well-known.
It was established by Sam Walton and is still located in Arkansas.
Walmart was first publicly traded in 1997. Now, it operates Sam’s Club warehouses, and is looking to the financial market.
Costco Wholesale Corporation, or just Costco, was founded in 1976, though it was called Price Club until 1983.
This multinational corporation has 800+ shops in 13 different countries, yet it still considers Issaquah Washington home.
Costco stores, which follow the discount-pricing warehouse business model, compete more directly with Walmart’s Sam’s Club and BJ’s Warehouse stores.
Costco has the net worth of approximately $80 Billion, making it one the biggest retailers in the U.S.
First of all, who is allowed to enter Costco or Walmart stores?
Costco is membership-only, with an annual fee of $60 (or $120 for the Gold Star Executive plan).
Walmart has no membership fees. Anybody can come in to shop and get started.
The first time you go into Costco and Walmart, it feels almost like the other.
The first is that both Costco and Walmart have incredible square footage.
This space makes it possible to have extra-wide aisles and carts with lots of room. The ceilings seem impossible to reach.
However, from here, the layouts diverge greatly.
Walmart stores are a mix of two or three layouts. I know that Supercenters has grocery, and all other items reside on the opposite sides.
Costco stores maximize all the vertical space they have by stacking stock so high that it is almost impossible to see, but retail experts also studied their layout.
Costco and designers have worked together to create an atmosphere of calm that helps customers navigate their way through the store.
These gentle herding techniques, which lead shoppers by strategically placing products, encourage them to spend as much as possible.
As I mentioned, Costco stores follow a warehouse model – product comes in bulk, albeit at discount prices.
As big as Costco is, you might be surprised to know that the stores typically carry only about 4,000 products.
Walmart sells individual items, though some products come in bulk packaging. A single Walmart store can carry as many as 142,000 items.
Given these reasons, it can be difficult to choose which store you should visit if you’re only going to make one trip.
Is your family large or do you just need to have more? Costco is the place to go. Do you prefer a lot of variety or are you loyal to certain name brands? Walmart is a better choice.
Below is a list of very similar departments in both stores.
Departments:
Walmart may also offer crafting services that continue to sell off fabric bolts.
Costco sells pre-made gift boxes along with floral arrangements.
Also, Walmart has a wider selection of prepared food – think, fried chicken and sides, hot meals, etc., all for carry out.
Costco also has a beloved food court with pizzas and hot dogs.
Of course, no big chain retailer would be complete these days without private or exclusive labels and brands.
This is part the business model that lowers prices.
These are the most well-known and loved Walmart brands.
Costco has one major private label brand: Kirkland.
Kirkland gets its name after a Washington suburb where an old store once stood.
Prices are a major motivating factor for most shoppers, especially when it comes to keeping the kitchen and pantry well-stocked.
Walmart Vs Costco In 2022 (Prices, Products, Services + More)