The Best Time to Shop at Sam's Club, According to Customers

And the times to avoid.

Sam’s Club is a popular store for good reason. It offers a wide, diverse selection of high-quality, affordable products. There are always new items to try, but shoppers can also buy staples in bulk and shop for a week’s worth of groceries in one trip to feed the entire family and make meal prep a breeze.

As with any grocery store, Sam’s gets busy, especially during peak hours and days that tend to draw in crowds. A hectic environment can make shopping less enjoyable and productive since there’s a greater chance that the items you’re looking for go out of stock. Besides low inventory, long checkout lines can be a hassle, especially if you’re in a rush. Just like when shopping at Walmart, Aldi's, or other fan-favorite stores, the best move is to plan accordingly and schedule a trip to Sam’s when stores are typically slow.

While it may differ depending on store location and demographic, shoppers seem to agree that there are better times to shop at grocery stores like Sam’s for a faster and more effective experience.

The Best Time to Shop at Sam's Club

In a Reddit thread, customers suggest avoiding Sam’s on weekends since most stores are busier most of the day. That's no surprise since most families do big shopping trips on the weekends to stock up for the week ahead.

One shopping also recommends skipping holidays and the start of the month. “As for specific days just avoid weekends, first of the month, and the day before holidays,” said Redditor mnojuttf.

So which day should you shop on? According to customers, Tuesday and Wednesday tend to be the least crowded at most Sam’s stores. They also all agreed that going to Sam’s in the mid-afternoon or first thing in the morning if possible.

Based on a Reddit thread discussion, you can shop right when the store opens with a Sam's Club Plus membership. User korkidog said, “That’s why they used to look at your membership card, now your phone. If you weren’t a Plus member, they wouldn’t let you in until 10.” Nurse5736 agreed, saying they upgraded to a Plus membership for this very reason: “That is listed as a perk to plus membership and one I find very useful.”

Going shopping on a Tuesday or Wednesday means you’re more likely to find a wider, fresher selection of certain products, based on Sam’s truck delivery schedule. For example, “Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Right when we open [is] your best chance to get meat products,” said rss2018.

However, another user says that late in the evenings might be a prime time to go, too. “At my club it gets really slow two hours before we close during weekdays,” wrote user @Mr_Clutch27. Basically, it’ll depend on location so decide based on how your local store operates and what the crowds and busy times seem to look like. And even if it is a bit packed, at least you know you're getting good deals.

Read the original article on All Recipes.