Sam's Club Has A Convenient Bakery Perk That Costco Shoppers Wish Their Store Had

Sam's Club and Costco are actually quite different, despite both being big names in the warehouse chain game. This fact is most obvious when examining how each retailer has integrated technology into its user experiences. For example, Sam's Club's app offers its members a Scan & Go shopping option, which lets customers add items to a running list as they put it in their cart, then skip the lines and check out by paying through the app. Costco's mobile app, sadly, has no such feature (a grievance that many members have as they wait in extra long weekend lines). And while both chains offer custom cake ordering from the respective bakeries, only Sam's Club allows you to place your order online.

That's right; Costco's bakery ordering process is from the Stone Age. To get a custom cake from Costco, you have to actually go into the store and fill out a paper form, then put it through a slot at the kiosk, only to return a day or two later for pick-up. It's laughably outdated, and it will make you feel like you've been transported to the Victorian era, but hey — it still works for the Issaquah, Washington-based chain. In contrast, you can place your customized bakery order at Sam's Club any time of day from either its website or its app — of course, you have to be a member, but at least you don't have to make multiple trips for one birthday cake.

Sam's Club, like its parent company Walmart, clearly tries to make everything as easy and accessible as possible for its customers (it keeps them coming back again and again, after all). For this reason, it has switched to an online-only ordering model for custom-made bakery items, which includes both cakes and cupcakes. It's a very simple process from either the website or the app; you can choose by occasion or design, then customize the flavor and message written on your baked good. Simply follow the prompts and voilà! Your Sam's Club order is submitted.

The bakery typically needs a full 24 hours to complete custom orders, but if you place yours before 2 p.m., you can often pick up your cake rather early the next day (perfect if you forgot someone's birthday, perhaps). If you don't need it that quickly, you can place your order up to 30 days beforehand. Simply choose the day and time you want to pick your goods up; options that are conveniently located in the online ordering process. While Sam's Club does offer curbside pick-up for most of its items, you will have to go inside the store and get your custom baked good from the bakery counter. You'll also receive an email letting you know when your cake or cupcakes are ready, for added convenience. It's worth noting that while most Sam's Club stores have a bakery, not all of them do; you can use the Club Finder to make sure your location offers this perk.