Fans of Costco are as loyal as they come, but more of the warehouse's members are waking up to the pros of shopping at America's largest grocery chain: Walmart. Similar to Costco, the retail behemoth offers low prices on food and everyday essentials and also offers its own membership, Walmart+, that comes with a host of rewards. However, it's the following 5 new perks that are exclusive to Walmart that have former Costco devotees flocking to its stores. From unique celebrity food lines to new bakery items, special discounts, and convenient options, here’s what Walmart has that Costco doesn't—and shoppers are eating it up.
RELATED: Costco Shoppers Say They've "Never Had a Bad Experience" Buying This Big-Ticket Item
1. Walmart's New Bakery Items Rival Costco's (and Sam's Club's Single-Serve Cakes)
Costco shoppers love to rave about the fresh finds at the warehouse’s bakery, but Walmart is now offering some stiff competition with its new launches in breads and baked goods. For instance, the retail chain recently debuted a new line of cakes, pies, and cheesecakes in bold, unexpected flavors. For cakes and pies, there’s the Sweet Ivory Cake and Salted Caramel Creme Pie, single-serve Key Lime Pies, and a Jumbo Oreo Cupcake.
For cheesecakes, new flavors include guava, hot honey, and a tropical mango-pineapple combo dusted with Tajin.Dessert lovers are raving about the rich, creamy textures and fruit flavors—especially the guava slice, which one reviewer said “tastes awesome” with “real guava taste.”
Plus, many of these new desserts come in ready-to-go single-serving slices, giving another warehouse—Sam’s Club—and its single-serving cake slices (like the beloved Tuxedo Bar Cake) a run for their money.
RELATED: 5 Secrets About Costco's Bakery Department
2. Glen Powell's New Condiment Line Is Exclusive to Walmart
DFree / Shutterstock.com
One hot ticket item that Walmart sells exclusively and Costco shoppers won’t be able to get their hands on? Actor Glen Powell’s new line of condiments called Smash Kitchen.
The Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters star co-founded the brand, which launched exclusively in Walmart and Walmart.com in April and features “American essentials with clean, organic ingredients.” The line "reimagines classics like ketchup, yellow mustard, mayonnaise, and BBQ sauce with real ingredients, including cage-free eggs, organic vine-ripened California tomatoes, and organic flavors and spices," according to a press release.
Powell, who grew up on his family’s farm in Texas, recently told USA Today how happy he is to offer an affordable condiment line (prices range from $2.17 to $4.97) that’s healthy to Walmart shoppers.
"The whole point is to smash," Powell said. "We're smashing the expectation that organic has to be expensive and it doesn't taste good."
And yes, the Hot Honey BBQ Sauce is inspired by his dog, Brisket.
3. Walmart Is Expanding Its In-Store Dining Options
Shutterstock
Costco fans rave about the warehouse's food court, with popular menu items including the infamous $1 hot dog and the viral chocolate chip cookie. But Walmart is upping its in-store dining game too.
The chain is increasingly adding restaurants and food vendors in its stores, such as Crave Hot Dogs and BBQ, Nozzleman Pizza, and Wonder Food Hall at select locations. Other partnerships include a deal with restaurant chain Mr. Gatti's Pizza, which can be found in 92 Walmart stores across four states, and Uncle Sharkii Poke Bar, a poke restaurant.Wetzel's Pretzels has also opened units inside the retailer, rounding out a varied mix of cuisines and flavors ready for Walmart shoppers to enjoy in-store—or even order for delivery. (That's something that Costco's food court can't say.)
RELATED: BJ's Is Coming for Costco: 4 Major Changes the Warehouse Is Making
4. Walmart+ Members Get Unlimited Free Delivery on Orders Over $35
6 | Walmart will put your groceries away for you.
Walmart
Shoppers who sign up for a Walmart+ membership get to enjoy unlimited free delivery on online orders of $35 or more. While this perk isn't necessarily new to the membership program, it offers the most enticing alternative for Costco shoppers who are growing increasingly annoyed with the long lines and crowded parking lots at the brand's 623 U.S. locations.
People who prefer to have their groceries delivered straight to their door might see free delivery and Walmart's larger footprint—it has 4,605 stores in the U.S.—as an enticing draw.
RELATED: Costco Employees' Harsh Truths: The Long Lines Are Your Fault
5. Walmart's App and Member Discounts Are Convenient
Walmart
Those who are looking to save time and money are finding Walmart's focus on online and in-store convenience, including its Walmart app that offers in-store scanning and online shopping, to be more attractive than Costco’s warehouse benefits and app.
For instance, Walmart+ members get early access to the retailer's sales events, allowing them to snag deals on everyday items before they're available to the public. Plus, similar to Costco, Walmart is offering fuel discounts to members with $0.10 off per gallon at over 13,000 gas stations (including partners Exxon, Mobil, and Murphy).
To be fair, Costco members get a whole host of benefits with their membership, including savings on services like eyewear, prescriptions, insurance, and gas, discounted vacation packages, cruises, car rentals, and hotel deals, and for Executive members, an annual reward and even bigger discounts. Plus, the Kirkland Signature brand is enough to make the average Costco fan stay put.
At the end of the day, where you shop is up to you, your budget, and personal preferences, but one thing is for sure—Walmart and Costco's competitive streak is still going strong.
