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Column: industry Tag: sam's club,food,store Published: 2024-11-06 11:02 Source: www.mashed.com Author: DB KELLYNOV. 5
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If you've ever had the urge to start a fight among parents as you're waiting to pick the kids up from literally any after-school activity, we'd suggest asking opinions on the Costco vs. Sam's Club debate. Watch the sparks fly! Still, no matter which side of the argument you're on, there are some down sides to your favorite warehouse store. Take Costco: Some of Costco's best sales aren't available in-store, which is frustrating. Then, there are some seriously annoying things about shopping at Sam's Club, particularly when it comes to product changes.
Is there anything worse than finding out your go-to favorites just aren't the same as they used to be? There are plenty of consequences to the inevitable and unforgiving forward march of time, and one of those is change: Procedures change, ingredients change, and suddenly, one-time favorites aren't so great.
We wanted to know what customers had to say about old favorites that have gone downhill, and what products they just didn't recommend buying anymore. There were some cases where customers didn't hold back, either, taking to social media to share their experiences, and in some cases, they took their complaints right to Sam's Club. Here's what they had to say.
1. Rotisserie chickens
Sam's Club (5940 Promenade Parkway, Castle Rock, CO)/Facebook
While it's no secret that store-bought rotisserie chickens taste better than the ones that you make at home, customers have been doing a lot of complaining about Sam's Club birds. Things seemed to start going downhill in a big way in 2023, when some Redditors started to report noticing a chemical smell coming from the rotisserie chickens they bought at Sam's Club, particularly when cooking the carcass for stock.
By 2024, more people were having other problems with the chickens. One Redditor said that they tended to get the smallest chickens they could find in hopes of getting one that was cooked all the way through, with some chiming in to comment that yes, the quality had gone down in large part because of understaffing, improper training, and a few employees trying to handle way too much work.
Comments on the Sam's Club website reflect this, too: Although there are some who still give the chickens five stars, there are plenty more who complain about undercooked, raw, and unseasoned, flavorless birds. One reviewer asked what had happened: " ... over the last few months, Sams must have changed their flavors, not marinading/brining (sic) or skimping on ingredients because the chicken now has no flavor. ... Bring back the old recipe, please!"
2. Cafe pizza
Sam/Facebook
One of the best parts of going shopping is hitting the food court: Knowing the secrets of the Sam's Club food court that you'll wish you'd known sooner will help you make good choices on what to purchase. However, many Sam's Club customers are saying that things just haven't been the same lately, with one Reddit discussion being kicked off with the sentiment, "The food is bad now. So I used to love Sam's pizza, and hotdogs. They are so bad now, I want the old style back." Other Redditors agreed, with one saying, "I was surprised at how horrible the pizza was," and another adding, "The pizza is so greasy, I only eat it if I'm starving at this point."
Head over to the Sam's Club website, and it's clear that there's not many people who are happy with the Member's Mark pizzas. Many of the five-star reviews are from years ago, with recent one-star reviews condemning the pizzas for a host of reasons. Common complaints include ingredients that were way out of proportion, chewy, hard crusts, and an overwhelming, unbearable saltiness.
"Why, Sam's, why?" wrote one disgruntled customer. "Why did you change the supplier? Until a couple months ago, this was hands down the best pizza around, at any price. Now it's just average. The sauce is meh, the crust is thinner and always wet on the bottom. Used to be a weekly treat, but won't be buying it again." Other customers repeatedly say that they're going to be opting for frozen pizza over Sam's version, and that's a shame.
3. Pretzel cheese
Sam's Club (1250 S. Amity Road, Conway, AR)/Facebook
Over recent years, there have been some questions raised about the nacho cheese dip that Sam's Club sells with its fresh pretzels and in the packages of Member's Mark soft pretzels. Redditors debated about whether or not the cheese was being discontinued, but one person seemed to confirm that although the marinara sauce was a guarantee — it was just the pizza sauce in cups — the cheese may or may not be available. That said, it seems as though there's also some debate about just how good — or bad — it is.
Some Redditors have noticed a definite difference in the cheese, and in a thread asking about availability and recipes, one person noted, "They sell the little cups at my club and it most (sic) be a new one or something because it tastes ... terrible." Others agreed, with one person chiming in to seemingly confirm that their Sam's Club location did, indeed, change suppliers.
Others suggested that changes happened around the same time as the COVID pandemic, and interestingly, if you check out the comments on the Member's Mark Pretzel Bites with Pub Style Cheese Dip, you'll find a lot of one- and two- star reviews from about the same time as the Reddit threads. Many complained about gritty, greasy cheese that didn't really melt well, saying that it was grainy, clumpy, and just downright bad. Slightly more recent comments seem more favorable, so is it possible that this is one change that's been for the better?
4. Bottled water
Sam's Club (700 N 54th St, Chandler, AZ)/Facebook
Bottled water might seem like the most straightforward thing in the world, but different brands of bottled water actually do taste different. There's also a difference between cheap and expensive brands of bottled water, but according to Sam's Club customers, there's also a difference in the way Member's Mark bottled water tastes now as compared to how it tasted before 2023. Head over to Reddit, and you'll find a lot of people complaining that along with a new bottle design came a strange aftertaste to the water. "I stopped buying it, they've also added salts to it for 'flavor,'" one person noted, while another claimed that clubs were seeing many returns on water for this reason.
Although there are still plenty of five-star reviews for this water on the Sam's Club website, some recent one- and two-star reviews have also been made by customers who have a problem with the taste. "The water tastes like the plastic it comes in," wrote one person.
That plastic taste is a common complaint, with customers condemning the quality of the bottles as well. Many suggested that the new packaging and the odd-tasting water were connected, while others just made it very, very clear that they weren't happy with either. One two-star review suggested that after years of buying the same water, they suddenly noticed it tasted like "someone dumped baking soda in it! Very nasty!" they wrote, and added, "My tap water is better!"
5. Food court hot dogs
Sam's Club (5450 Carpenter Rd, Ypsilanti, MI)/Facebook
Way back in 2018, one heartbroken Redditor posted a thread that detailed how one of their worst fears had come true: After countless trips to Sam's Club and enjoying a Nathan's hot dog from the cafe as a reward for, well, going to Sam's Club, they'd found the hot dogs not quite the same as they usually were. They said they'd gotten confirmation from staff that they were changing to Member's Mark hot dogs, and other Redditors in the thread confirmed that it was absolutely true.
Some Redditors said that it was a slow rollout and a gradual change, with other threads looking for confirmation that this was the case well into 2020. Did customers let this one go? Absolutely not: In 2023, one Redditor posted that they also felt bad for the staff at their local Sam's Club, who were constantly struggling to keep up with food orders. The general consensus is that it was reflected in the quality of the food, with one person saying, "I avoid the hot dogs." They took issue with the buns as well, with another person (who was presumably an employee) explaining, "We haven't been allowed to steam the buns for at least three years."
The discussion kicked off again in 2024, with Redditors lamenting the loss to Nathan's hot dogs. To say the change hadn't gone over well is something of an understatement.
6. Muffins
Sam's Club (1717 E Lincoln Hwy, Langhorne, PA)/Facebook
Sam's Club muffins also seem to have something of an up-and-down reputation with customers. Back in 2021, Redditors pondered what they perceived to be changes in the corn muffins. The problem? Freshness. The general consensus at the time was that various clubs were being hit with shortages beyond employees' control, which makes sense.
However, customers have continued to raise questions about muffins, and in 2024, one Redditor asked, "Pretty bummed, did they change the recipe for their blueberry muffins? Used to be so crispy and fresh now they just seem dense and sad and plain." Not long after, another Redditor noted that they, too, were finding the muffins not as fresh as they used to be, with others confirming they'd noticed the change, too.
Head over to the Sam's Club website, and customers have recently been giving some of the Member's Mark muffins dismal ratings and reviews. One customer handed the blueberry muffins a one-star rating, writing, "I don't know what they changed but they are absolutely terrible. I'm so sad because I used to love them." Others complain of chemical, and vinegar tastes, while others echo Reddit's concerns over freshness. Similar comments are found on the variety pack of muffins, and on the chocolate muffins. There, amid complaints of dry, flavorless muffins was one customer who asked, "Looks amazing! Tastes like nothing. Did y'all forget to put the chocolate in these?"
7. Member's Mark chicken
Sam's Club (7175 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas)/Facebook
What's going on with Member's Mark chicken? That's what a lot of people want to know, and let's see if we can follow this saga. Complaints seemed to really kick into high gear in early 2024, when Redditors started asking questions about the switch from chicken packaged in styrofoam trays to vacuum-sealed packages. Customers were already noticing a change in quality and price, with some Redditors following up with complaints of poorly-trimmed chicken pieces, little edible meat, and even blood vessels that needed to be cleaned up.
When one Redditor posted photos of white meat chicken that was falling apart into shreds, others identified it as "spaghetti meat." What's that? It's meat that takes on a stringy, spaghetti-like texture because of the speed at which the animals are grown. It's reportedly perfectly fine to eat, but customers aren't happy about the taste, either — and they're sharing their opinions on the Sam's Club website.
There are a slew of recent one-star reviews, with customers complaining that the chicken is tough, liquid-filled, and has an unpleasant taste. "They taste really bad," wrote one, with another saying that in the 10 years they'd been buying Sam's Club chicken, they've seen it going downhill across the board. "The breasts are huge and the taste is awful," wrote another, while other customers asked for a switch back to old suppliers.
8. Pizza dough
Body Stock/Shutterstock
If you love picking up some pizza dough for a quick, post-grocery-shopping meal, you're certainly not alone. Unfortunately for Sam's Club customers, not only have there been a ton of complaints about the pizza, but there's plenty that's being said about the pizza dough, too. Instead of dough balls, customers are now going to find flat rounds of pizza dough. While there are some five-star ratings, there are also plenty of customers who say that this dough tastes nothing like the dough that was previously available.
"These are terrible if you don't thaw, form into a ball, then re-stretch," wrote one customer who took to the Sam's Club website to complain. "Even then, they still aren't half as good as the old dough balls," they continued. Some speculated that the change came so the store could stock one type of pizza dough — for sale and for use in fresh pizzas — while adding, "these seem to be not of the same quality as the dough balls sold previously."
Some Redditors agreed, with one saying, "I bought a case of dough, and it's terrible. If it had yeast it's dead. It doesn't rise, and has no flavor." Others suggest that consistency is a problem, adding that they have the opposite problem with crusts that form massive air bubbles. A good crust is crucial to a stellar pizza, and fortunately, it's easy to make your own with our quick, no-knead pizza dough recipe.
9. Açaí bowl
Sam's Club (8425 NW 13th Ter, Doral, FL)/Facebook
Sam's Club customers agree that the Member's Mark Açaí Bowls are very, very different, but whether the change is a good one or a bad one is apparently pretty subjective. Nuts were replaced with granola, and according to a TikTok review by @kayladthequeenb, more fruit was added. That's a good thing, right? She thought so, too — although she still recommended adding a few fresh ingredients to make it even better.
Others aren't so sure, heading to the Sam's Club website to voice some displeasure at what's going on with the açaí bowls. "I've given it a few tries over the last few months, hoping I'd get used to the granola, but I just can't enjoy it anymore," wrote one customer. "It's disappointing when a good product gets changed for the worse." They're not alone in their opinion, either, with many one-star reviews condemning the switch from nuts to granola.
The problem that many seem to have is that the granola has a texture that's way too hard. Put that in with frozen then thawed fruit that's described as "limpy," and "mushy," and there are plenty that seem to think that this is a switch that's a swing and a major miss. "I loved these until you replaced the nuts with nasty granola," said one disgruntled customer, sharing an opinion that they're not alone in having.
10. Member's Mark Pepperoni
Sammy Gonzalez/Shutterstock
In a Reddit thread asking Sam's Club customers for what their personal preferences are on what they must buy and what they must avoid, the Member's Mark pepperoni gets called out for being nowhere near as good as it once was. "I detest the new MM pepperoni," one person explained, adding that it spoiled really, really quickly. "Was so sad when we stopped carrying the good pepperoni ... it just doesn't taste nearly as good and way too peppery," another responded.
Customers over on the Sam's Club website are split on the uncured pepperoni, with some saying that there's not much pepperoni flavor, while confirming that once a package is open, it should be used quickly. As for the bags of sliced pepperoni, there are plenty who love it. Those reviews, though, seem to mostly stand on their own, while those comparing it to the Hormel brand that Sam's previously sold are less than thrilled.
"This pepperoni is nowhere near the quality of the Hormel," wrote one, with another adding, "This pepperoni is nasty. I liked the Hormel so much better." Others condemn this pepperoni for not having the shelf life of other brands, and as being overwhelmingly greasy, having a strange aftertaste, and having a strange, rubbery texture. Clearly, it's not a win with everyone.
Methodology
John Hanson Pye/Shutterstock
In order to get a feel for what Sam's Club customers have to say about the changes to its products over the years, we scoured social media posts, Reddit threads, and headed straight to the source itself: Sam's Club. Sam's Club customers often post on the chain's website, offering their thoughts on products and experiences at the store. To the chain's credit, reviews both good and bad are given equal visibility on the site, making this a great way to judge what people think of current and past offerings.
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