The Best Sam’s Club Shopping Time

First, there’s no wrong time to shop at Sam’s Club. The warehouse store is open for members to shop from morning to evening, seven days a week, and no matter what day or time you go, you’re bound to find great products and deals.

But the best time to be at Sam’s Club depends on the kind of shopping experience you’re looking for. Do you want the place all to yourself? Are you in a hurry, or do you prefer to take your time browsing? And, importantly, how do you feel about free samples?

I’ve been a Sam’s Club shopper for years, and I’ve visited the store at just about every time of the day, week, month, and year. To put together these tips, I depended on my own experience and input from other shoppers, not to mention Sam’s Club employees (who shared advice both in person and on Reddit) and social media shopping influencers.

The Best Time of Year to Shop

This might seem like a wishy-washy answer, but it’s true: the best time of year to shop at Sam’s Club depends entirely on what you’re looking for. Though many products are available year-round, some inventory is more seasonal.

“Sam’s does a great job of putting seasonal items on sale right when you need them,” according to Ashley Williams, an influencer from Illinois who shares Sam’s Club finds with more than 300,000 followers on her In the spring and summer, she says, you’ll find things like patio furniture and playsets, while the selection of electronics gets better around the holidays.

You can snag an even better deal if you time your search for the shoulder seasons. As the seasons change, older merchandise gets marked down, so early fall is an excellent time to look for summer items on clearance, and holiday leftovers can often be had for a song in early January.

I think the best time to shop at Sam’s Club is between the start of autumn and the end of the year (in other words, right now!). Kids are back in school, so the snack selection is excellent.

The holidays are approaching, so the shelves are full of special treats and delicious new products geared toward entertaining and feeding a crowd, and cruising the aisles of toys and gifts is a lot of fun.

The other good reason to shop at Sam’s around early fall, especially if you haven’t joined yet, is the chance to snag a membership at a promotional price. There are typically a couple of membership fee sales a year where you can join for as low as $15.

The Best Time of the Month to Shop

Several times a year, Sam’s Club members can expect to find an “Instant Savings Booklet” in their mailbox. The booklet is a guide to the store’s coupon-free savings program, and it often features some severe discounts for food, everyday household products, and big-ticket items.

If there is something in the Instant Savings Book you have to have, plan a trip early in the month. Sometimes, those items go out of stock, and there’s no guarantee about when–or if– they’ll be back in the store again.

When there is a big holiday during the month, you can benefit from shopping at Sam’s a day or two before (though you might encounter some very long lines) or in the days just after.

“If they order too much of something,” said one Sam’s Club employee on Reddit, “they can be marked down to move the product out of the store.”

The place you might see this happen most often is the meat department: the employee and Redditor said shoppers should keep an eye out for discounted Turkeys after Thanksgiving, ribs around Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, and tenderloin and bone-in ribeye steaks near Christmas.

The Best Time of the Week to Shop

According to another Sam’s Club employee on Reddit, markdowns (especially in the meat and produce department) happen early on Wednesdays. However, each club’s markdown schedule may differ; your best bet is to chat with some employees on your next visit and get the inside scoop on when you might find the best deals.

If you want to avoid big crowds and long lines, there’s no question that mid-week is the time to shop. Hitting the Club on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday will let you “shop with some elbow room,” says Williams.

The Best Time of Day to Shop

If you want the place to yourself–not to mention first dibs on anything stocked overnight–you’ve got to be first in line to get in when the doors open, and yes, there might be a line. Sam’s Club’s top-tier “Plus” membership might be helpful here.

Members have private shopping hours from 8 A.M. to 10 A.M. Monday through Friday and 8 A.M. to 9 A.M. on Saturday.

Shopping early might also get you there just in time to shop for newly-delivered food. “Meat and produce come in the A.M., as do local vendors like bread,” said one employee. But trucks full of new products arrive at the store all day, so if you aren’t an early bird, don’t think you’ll miss the worm.

Williams says her favorite time to be at Sam’s is right in the middle of the day. “Hit the Club with girlfriends when crowds are lowest and meet for lunch in the cafe simultaneously,” she suggests.

If You Want Samples

I realize I just told you the best time to go to Sam’s Club is early morning on a weekday. And if you want to get in, get out, and get on with your day, that’s true. But if you love a free sample–and who doesn’t–you’ll have to go when the club’s at its busiest.

Sample carts are most likely open from late morning to early afternoon on weekends.

If you plan to go on a weekend (or anytime), do yourself a big favor and download the Sam’s Club app. The “Scan & Go” feature lets you scan products as you shop and then pay right from your phone.

When you don’t have to wait in a long checkout line, even the busiest time at Sam’s Club is still great.

Conclusion

Shopping at Sam’s Club can be a great experience any time since you can snag seasonal deals, monthly savings on food, household products, and big-ticket items, and get fresh food all day. If you have a specific goal, like scoring free samples or beating the crowds, you can adjust the time you go to create the best Sam’s Club experience for you. And now that you’re planning a trip to Sam’s Club check out.