NEW YORK, June 30, 2026, 18:03 (EDT)
- Consumer Reports named Sam’s Club its top pick for rotisserie chicken out of 10 chains, with Costco coming in second. Sam’s three-pound chicken was tagged at $4.98, which works out to $1.66 per pound.
- Walmart Inc’s NASDAQ:WMT club segment reported first-quarter net sales up 6.1% to $23.4 billion. Membership and other income climbed 11%.
- Costco Wholesale Corp NASDAQ:COST moved over 157 million rotisserie chickens worldwide in 2025. That was enough to keep it at No. 2 for one of its biggest traffic drivers.
Sam’s Club, a Walmart Inc NASDAQ:WMT unit, scored first in a new Consumer Reports ranking of U.S. grocery rotisserie chickens, bumping Costco Wholesale Corp NASDAQ:COST out of the lead. Mystery shoppers picked up chickens at as many as three stores on different dates and sent them still warm for a blind tasting in a lab.
Sam’s Club undercut rivals on rotisserie chicken, with its Member’s Mark chicken at $4.98 for around three pounds—just a penny less than Costco and BJ’s average of $4.99. Sam’s also ranked higher on taste, a category where front-line price matters for warehouse clubs.
| Retailer | Consumer Reports rank | Public parent or status | Price in reviewed reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam’s Club | 1 | Walmart Inc NASDAQ:WMT | $4.98, around 3 lb |
| Costco | 2 | Costco Wholesale Corp NASDAQ:COST | $4.99 average |
| Stop & Shop | 3 | Ahold Delhaize AMS:AD | Not listed in reviewed reports |
| Walmart | 4 | Walmart Inc NASDAQ:WMT | Not listed in reviewed reports |
| Wegmans | 5 | Private | $9.99 average |
Consumer Reports named Sam’s, Costco, Stop & Shop, Walmart and Wegmans as its top five. Stop & Shop is part of Ahold Delhaize USA, and shares of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize are traded in Amsterdam on Euronext.
Sam’s Club U.S. isn’t a small operation for Walmart. In fiscal 2026, it posted $93.0 billion in net sales from 601 locations, with $2.53 billion coming from membership and other income. Grocery accounted for $64.7 billion of those U.S. sales.
Sam’s Club U.S. brought in fee income faster than sales in Walmart’s first quarter for fiscal 2027. Net sales at Sam’s Club U.S. were up 6.1%, while membership and other income jumped 11%. Walmart said millennials and Gen Z accounted for about half of new Sam’s Club signups. E-commerce hit 20% of net sales, not counting fuel.
Sam’s Club CEO Chris Nicholas told investors in 2025 that the retailer was putting money into its stores, workers and member experience, aiming to be the “world’s best club retailer.” Walmart also said at the time that about half of merchandise sales growth in the last two years had come from its private label, Member’s Mark. Walmart Corporate News
Costco remains the main club name by size. The retailer booked $269.9 billion in net sales and $5.32 billion from membership fees in fiscal 2025. Reuters said in February Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken, often called a loss leader, reached over 157 million sold in 2025.
| Measure | Sam’s Club / Walmart | Costco | Investor read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latest annual sales base | $93.0 bln in U.S. net sales for Sam’s Club, FY2026 | $269.9 bln in net sales, FY2025 | Costco is bigger, but Sam’s is a real chunk at Walmart |
| Membership income | $2.53 bln from membership and other income, Sam’s Club U.S. FY2026 | $5.32 bln in membership fees, FY2025 | Fee revenue puts the focus on perceived value and profits |
| Rotisserie price point | $4.98, ranked No. 1 by Consumer Reports | $4.99 on average, No. 2 rank | Sam’s can hit directly at a flagship Costco item |
Consumer Reports looked at nutrition as well as possible chemical exposure from plastic packaging. ABC’s Good Morning America reported the group told shoppers to reheat and store chickens in containers that aren’t plastic. Costco has been sued over safety and “no preservatives” labels on its rotisserie chickens but has rejected those claims or challenged them in court, according to Reuters and Supermarket News. Good Morning America
BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings NYSE:BJ came in seventh on the Consumer Reports list. Supermarket News said its Wellsley Farms chicken took the top spot for recipes. Stop & Shop and Hannaford, both under Ahold Delhaize USA, made the 10-chain group as well.
At the dateline, Walmart traded at $113.26, slipping 1.2%. Costco last traded at $935.47, also down 1.2%. BJ’s shares were at $87.22, off 2.4%.
