Is Costco meat better than Walmart? (2024)

Is Costco meat better quality?

The general consensus is that Costco meat is better quality than the grocery store, but not as good quality as the butcher.

Costco is known for its ultra-low prices on bulk items. But Walmart offers really low prices, too. As such, it's very hard to say which of the two stores offers the best deals, because often, that will boil down to the specific things you're looking for.

Chicken. Walmart's store brand of fresh whole chickens aren't organic, but they are labeled cage free, they're also about 20 cents cheaper per pound, and you don't have to buy two, as you do at Costco.

According to Consumer Reports, Walmart consistently ranks toward the bottom of their listing of supermarket chains in terms of "quality of fresh foods and vegetables, meats, [and] store-prepared foods and baked goods." Out of 68 supermarkets evaluated by Consumer Reports, Walmart falls at #67.

Costco gets most of its meat from US farms, although they also have foreign sources for some products. Foreign producers from Southeast Asia, Australia, and Canada supply certain fish, lamb, shellfish, and beef products.

Kirkland Signature, Costco's exclusive brand of products, seemingly offers more to its members than Walmart with an expansive selection of household, grocery, and personal care products.

Costco makes a small percentage of its profits from its merchandise, whereas the bulk of its profits come from its membership dues. Only members can shop at Costco. The membership business model allows Costco to undersell the competition by offering products in bulk at lower prices to ensure customer loyalty.

Is Costco owned by Walmart? Walmart does not own Costco Wholesalers. In fact, as the second-largest retail corporation in the United States, Costco is Walmart's main competitor. Costco is not owned by a single individual, but rather by a multinational corporation managed by a board of directors and public stockholders.

Buy: Fresh eggs

Parashkevov sees two benefits to buying eggs at Costco: great prices, and variety. "They have a surprising level of choice when it comes to eggs," he said. You can get everything from conventional to free-range eggs, all at a lower cost than at many other grocery stores.

Is Costco milk better than Walmart?

Costco does offer higher quality products, which likely accounts for the higher prices. After all, Kirkland Signature products are of better quality than most Great Value products. But, it's important to know that if you want lower prices, Walmart is the place to go.

Weekday Mornings

If you visit Costco right after the store opens on a weekday morning, before 11 a.m., you'll avoid the chaos that is often experienced on busy weekends. Many stores do see an uptick in visitors during the lunch hour, so it's best to get in and get out before lunchtime.

Never Buy Ground Beef At Wal-Mart And Here's Why - YouTube

Consumers rated Walmart low for quality of meat

While it scored well for pricing — as we might expect from the big-box store — customers had complaints about the quality and lack of variety of the food, and the meat and poultry in particular (via Consumer Reports).

The world's largest retailer confirmed Monday that it is now selling choice-grade beef at all of its 3,800 U.S. locations after ramping up selections for the past three months. Wal-Mart traditionally has sold only select-grade beef, which is of a lower quality, keeping with its focus on low prices.

While some find it too big a hit to the wallet to bulk buy prime cuts of pricey beef even at warehouse prices, there's another factor to consider that may keep you steering clear of the meat aisle at Costco altogether — they mechanically tenderize almost all of their steaks (via Chowhound).

The quality and flavor of the Kirkland Signature Organic Ground Beef is excellent. Over the years we have bought co-op ground beef, every variety (grass fed, pasture, etc) and “step” from whole foods, and we find the overall value, quality and flavor of the organic ground beef at Costco is a win-win for our family.

Are Costco Meat Prices Competitive? Costco tends to run on the more expensive side. This is especially true when compared to supermarket specials and coupons that often undercut Costco pricing significantly. But when comparing the Costco price to your local butcher shop, Costco will usually win.

Prime is the highest quality of beef available. They have the most marbling and are sure to provide a wonderfully juicy and extremely tasty eating experience. The high level of marbling makes them great for grilling and other dry cooking methods. Choice is still high quality beef that has less marbling than Prime.