Last month it was Costco offering freebies with a new membership for $55 on the daily deal site Living Social. New members could pay $55 for a standard membership and get freebies thrown in such as a Costco $20 gift card, an apple pie, rotisserie chicken, bathroom tissue and identity theft protection.
Now Sam's Club is doing its own version on Living Social in time for holiday purchases for new members. It's actually a better deal in my opinion than Costco's. Here's the offer:
• $45 for a one-year Sam's Plus membership (a $100 value) Note: this is the premium membership
• Complimentary spouse or other household member
• $20 Sam's Club gift card
• Four free fresh food items (a $22.18 value) including rotisserie chicken, spinach artichoke dip, cookies and a baguette.
The Plus membership offers a number of additional perks described in the Living Social offer, including instant savings. And it's more practical than identity theft protection, which Consumer Reports generally recommends skipping.
Why the sudden promotions from warehouse clubs? It's possible that it's tied to the holidays. Financial analyst Philip Van Deusen at Tigress Financial Partners said, "All retail is in an extremely promotional phase after such a horrible winter."
That's good news for consumers, especially those who are not current Sam's Club members. The Living Social promo is good through Nov. 4 unless terminated earlier.
