In a recent Consumer Reports evaluation of rotisserie chickens from ten major grocery chains, Sam's Club, a subsidiary of Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT), secured the top position, outperforming Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST). The assessment considered factors such as taste, sodium levels, and packaging quality. Sam's Club claimed the highest rank, followed by Costco and Stop & Shop, which is owned by Ahold Delhaize (AMS:AD). Shana DeSmit, divisional meat and seafood manager at Sam's Club, emphasized the company's commitment to "flavor and freshness" and providing "genuine value" for its members, as reported by USA Today and People.com.
Parent Company Performance
When analyzing the results by parent company, Walmart emerged with two of the six chickens deemed tasty enough to be enjoyed on their own: those from Sam's Club and Walmart stores. Costco contributed one, and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) had one from its Whole Foods Market chain. Ahold Delhaize also had one from Stop & Shop. Other chains in the top tier included Wegmans (privately held), BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BJ), Hannaford, ShopRite, and The Fresh Market. Notably, Consumer Reports found no perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the meat or packaging tested.
Pricing Dynamics
The pricing among these retail giants remains highly competitive. Consumer Reports listed Sam's Club at $4.98 for a 3-pound chicken, equating to $1.66 per pound. Reuters reported Costco's U.S. rotisserie chicken at $4.99. Walmart's website on Friday showed its regular 2.25-pound rotisserie chicken priced at $5.97, or $2.65 per pound. This price advantage underscores the intense rivalry in the warehouse club sector.
Costco's Chicken Sales and Traffic Driver
Costco heavily relies on its rotisserie chicken to drive customer traffic. At its annual meeting, the company disclosed that it sold over 157 million rotisserie chickens globally in 2025, according to Reuters in February. At $4.99 each in the U.S., this translates to approximately $783 million in annual sales before additional purchases. This strategy underscores the importance of the chicken as a loss leader to boost overall store visits.
Walmart and Sam's Club Financial Performance
While Sam's Club does not break out rotisserie chicken sales separately, Walmart's latest financial report offers insights. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, Sam's Club U.S. net sales increased by 6.1% to $23.4 billion. Transactions rose by 6.2%, and e-commerce sales surged by 23%. Membership and other income grew by 11%. Walmart CEO John Furner highlighted the company's focus on "better shopping experiences" and "faster delivery" in the company's SEC filing.
Costco also reported robust growth. Net sales for the fiscal third quarter ended May 10 climbed 11.6% to $69.15 billion. U.S. comparable sales increased by 9.4%, or 6.8% when excluding gas and currency impacts. Membership fees reached $1.37 billion, up from $1.24 billion in the prior year.
Market Context and Strategic Implications
Costco executives consistently emphasize that low prices are central to their business model. CEO Ron Vachris told analysts the company aims to be "first to lower prices and last to raise them." CFO Gary Millerchip noted that executive members typically "spend more" and "visit more frequently," which is crucial for driving repeat traffic. This strategy has attracted more investors to the warehouse club space. In April, Mizuho's David Bellinger told MarketWatch that more customers are gravitating toward the $300 billion U.S. warehouse-club sector amid shifting gas prices. Walmart benefits from Sam's Club's chicken sales, as it offers low-cost goods that encourage repeat purchases, especially as transactions and membership fees are already rising.
U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday, July 3, due to the Independence Day holiday. As of the latest trading session, Walmart shares were at $111.84, Costco at $951.67, and BJ's at $89.18.
