NEW YORK, July 3, 2026, 09:12 (EDT)
- Consumer Reports ranked Sam’s Club higher than Costco in a review of rotisserie chickens from 10 chains.
- Walmart NASDAQ:WMT holds two of the six “serve on their own” picks—Sam’s Club and Walmart.
- Costco Wholesale NASDAQ:COST reported sales of over 157 million rotisserie chickens worldwide in 2025.
- U.S. equity markets stayed closed Friday because of the Independence Day holiday.
Sam’s Club, owned by Walmart NASDAQ:WMT, ranked first in a Consumer Reports test of rotisserie chickens, beating out Costco Wholesale NASDAQ:COST. The test looked at products from 10 grocery chains, grading taste, sodium, and packaging. Sam’s Club took the top spot, followed by Costco and Stop & Shop, part of Ahold Delhaize AMS:AD. “Flavor and freshness” and “genuine value” for members are the focus, Sam’s Club divisional meat and seafood manager Shana DeSmit said to USA Today. People.com
Looking at parent companies, Walmart had two of the six birds Consumer Reports said were tasty enough to eat on their own: Sam’s Club and Walmart stores. Costco had one, and Amazon.com NASDAQ:AMZN had one from its Whole Foods Market chain. Ahold Delhaize had one from Stop & Shop. Wegmans is private. The rest in the recipe group came from BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings NYSE:BJ, Hannaford, ShopRite, and The Fresh Market. Consumer Reports didn’t find any PFAS in the meat or packaging they checked.
| Banner | Public parent | Consumer Reports placement | Confirmed price/value fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam’s Club | Walmart NASDAQ:WMT | Ranked best overall | $4.98 for 3 lb, $1.66/lb |
| Costco | Costco Wholesale NASDAQ:COST | In top tier, just behind Sam’s Club | $4.99 U.S. bird; 2025 sales cleared 157 mln |
| Walmart | Walmart NASDAQ:WMT | In top tier | $5.97 for 2.25 lb, $2.65/lb |
| Stop & Shop | Ahold Delhaize AMS:AD | In top tier | Listed grocery parent, U.S. focus |
| Whole Foods Market | Amazon.com NASDAQ:AMZN | In top tier | Small portion of Amazon overall |
| Wegmans | Private | In top tier | Parent is not public |
Price is tight between the big retailers. Consumer Reports put Sam’s Club at $4.98 for a 3-pound chicken, working out to $1.66 per pound. Reuters had Costco’s U.S. rotisserie chicken at $4.99. On Friday, Walmart’s website listed its regular 2.25-pound rotisserie chicken for $5.97, or $2.65 per pound.
Costco leans on chicken for customer traffic. At its annual meeting, the company said it sold over 157 million rotisserie chickens worldwide in 2025, according to Reuters in February. Priced at $4.99 each in the U.S., that’s around $783 million in yearly ticket sales before shoppers spend on anything else.
Sam’s Club doesn’t break out rotisserie chicken sales, but Walmart’s latest report offers some details. In the first quarter, Sam’s Club U.S. net sales increased 6.1% to $23.4 billion. Transactions climbed 6.2%. E-commerce sales jumped 23%. Membership and other income was up 11%. Walmart CEO John Furner said they’re focusing on “better shopping experiences” and “faster delivery.” SEC
Costco is adding sales on top of a big base. Net sales for the fiscal third quarter ended May 10 climbed 11.6% to $69.15 billion. U.S. comparable sales went up 9.4%, or 6.8% if you strip out gas and currency. Membership fees hit $1.37 billion, up from $1.24 billion last year.
| Latest company data | Walmart / Sam’s Club U.S. | Costco Wholesale |
|---|---|---|
| Latest reported period | Q1 FY27, ended April 30 | Q3 FY26, ended May 10 |
| Relevant sales base | Sam’s Club U.S. net sales came in at $23.4 billion, up 6.1% | Net sales hit $69.15 billion, an increase of 11.6% |
| Store/club demand | Sam’s saw transactions rise 6.2% and comp sales ex fuel up 3.9% | U.S. comp sales grew 9.4%. Adjusted for gas and currency, up 6.8% |
| Membership signal | Sam’s membership and other income grew 11% | Membership fees totaled $1.37 billion, up 10.7% |
| Chicken read | Two top-group banners | One top-group banner; 157 million 2025 birds |
Costco execs keep repeating that low prices are core to the business. CEO Ron Vachris told analysts they want to be “first to lower prices and last to raise them.” CFO Gary Millerchip said executive members usually “spend more” and “visit more frequently.” That’s important since the whole setup aims to get members to return. The Motley Fool
Warehouse clubs have been pulling in more investors. In April, Mizuho’s David Bellinger told MarketWatch that more customers are choosing the $300 billion U.S. warehouse-club space as gas prices shift. Walmart gets a win from Sam’s Club selling chicken—it’s low-cost and gets people to buy again, in a club business where transactions and membership fees are already up.
U.S. stock markets didn’t open Friday, July 3, because of the Independence Day holiday. Latest prices had Walmart at $111.84, Costco at $951.67, and BJ’s at $89.18.
