Like Costco, Sam's Club is a place to roam the cavernous aisles stocking up on bulk items and free samples — but to make a purchase, you've always had to have a membership. Thanks to the magic of online shopping, there's a way around that now.
Sam's Club announced a partnership with Instacart this week that allows any shopper in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and St. Louis areas to purchase groceries, home goods and small appliances from their phone or online — no membership required. With the service, food items like produce, meat, frozen foods, and products from Sam's Club's in-house brand, Member's Mark, can be delivered in as little as an hour (including the Jumbo Cinnamon Roll, FYI).
While you don't need a Sam's Club membership to order through Instacart, you will get better deals as a member. According to a press release, Sam's Club members will be able to save their membership number on Instacart to receive "membership rewards and lower, member-only pricing on items."
Another catch: Delivery can get pricey if you not an Instacart Express member. For $149 per year, Express shoppers get unlimited free delivery on all orders over $35. That annual fee is steep compared to Sam's Club's — $45 for Club membership and $100 for a Sam's Plus membership (which gets you free shipping from the Sam's Club website) — but if you use Instacart regularly, and like to shop from several grocery stores, it might be worth it.
If you don't have the Express membership, or buy less than $35 worth of goods, delivery is typically $9.99, though it can surge during busy times.
While it's only available in three cities so far, Sam's Club is looking to expand the service to millions of households across the U.S through 2018 and beyond.
Between Instacart, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods delivery, and services like Shipt, there's certainly no shortage of ways to get your groceries digitally.
Follow Delish on Instagram.
Download the Delish app.
