Although you may believe differently, all wholesale clubs are not created equal. Each company needs to find a way to get you into their store and keep you as a customer over the competition. For this reason, many of these companies roll out unique services or products that will entice you to make a visit and, hopefully, become a member.

Joining a wholesale club is a good idea as it offers many advantages. These include discounts that come from buying in bulk, less trips to the store since you will buy more at one time, cash back rewards, services offered at special pricing, and exclusive programs. However, not every club will have every incentive, so it is important to choose the right one before you spend money on a membership.

There are several things that you may want to look for when deciding which wholesale club is for you.

How close each club is to your home

This may be of lesser importance to most, as long as the club is in your town or city. The reason this may be less important is because you may be making infrequent trips to the club, since the bulk goods will keep you from running out of most items quickly. Some people find that they can visit their wholesale club 1-2 times per month for most items, while stopping at a regular store once a week for items such as milk, bread, and fresh fruit. However, if you do go to the club more often, you may want to shop at the one closest to you in order to save on gas. This may also be important to you if you plan on getting gas at your wholesale club, since you will probably fill up 1-2 times per week or more.

Special products, not offered by the competition, that you would use frequently

Although all wholesale clubs usually sell the same type and brand when it comes to groceries, personal, and household products, they may also sell additional products which are exclusive to their club. For example, one club may have a very small selection of clothing, while two other clubs have a larger selection, but with different brands. You can get an idea of if a particular club will have special products that are suited for you by obtaining a guest pass and seeing first hand what they have to offer.

Services that you can use

It is important that the wholesale club you go with offers services that you can use. An outstanding service is useless if you do not need it. If it is a service that you do use or would like to use independently of the club, then joining the club for that service would be beneficial to you and help you save money in more than one area.

Exclusive programs that pertain to your interests or needs

Likewise, you need to join a club that offers programs that pertain to your interests or needs (or those of your spouse), otherwise the program is of no use to you. For example, if you are in the market to buy an automobile or boat, joining BJ's Wholesale Club would be advantageous to you. This would enable you to take advantage of their special BJ's Auto Program, as well as take advantage of discounts and services afforded to their members.

Taking the time to pick the right wholesale club is important to your satisfaction. After all, once you pay the yearly fee, you may be locked in for the full 12 months. The only other option would be buying memberships to additional clubs, however, that will cut into a portion of the savings you will get from shopping at a wholesale club in the first place.