Here’s a heads-up for you and your wallet.

Will warehouse clubs like BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and Costco be raising membership fees before the end of 2022? This is a big question that has been hanging over their heads for several months now, but according to the Wall Street Journal and MSNBC News it just might happen soon. 

I don’t keep it a secret that I am not a fan of the warehouse club programs. Paying a fee for the privilege of shopping and being forced to buy quantities that I don’t really want or need to get a “deal” bothers me, for a couple of reasons.

First, I know for a fact from my 50 years of experience that you can get better prices at traditional stores and supermarkets when they have sale events. The regular prices at the clubs may beat the regular prices at the stores, but not their sales prices.

Second, when shopping for one or two people or even a small family, buying in bulk may actually be a waste of your money. That is especially true when you are buying food items that may be perishable if not used in a timely manner.

While BJ’s actually lowered its annual fees a couple of years ago (they are regretting that right now), they are feeling the inflation pressure too just like all of us.

Sam’s Club last raised fees in 2018, but keep in mind they are part of the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, so they have a big money base to weather any storm.

Historically, Costco, the biggest club, has raised its membership fees every five to six years, with the last three increases coming, on average, at about the five-and-a-half-year mark timeframe. The last time it raised fees was in June of 2017, just about five years ago. So what does that mean to you if you are one of the 64.4 million paid households and 116.6 million individual cardholders of them, both records and up over 6% compared to just a year ago?

If fees are raised this year, it would just be one more blow to you, the already battered consumer! There’s no direct answer to the increase question yet, but it is clear that while the timing is right for an increase, market conditions may not be. Why?

The inflation that is facing consumers right now may just prevent them from buying the way they did during the height of the pandemic at warehouse clubs, and paying an annual fee to do it is becoming more difficult for some.

But the companies’ thinking could change at some point in time between now and the end of this year, so be prepared. You may want to reconsider the warehouse club platform if the price goes up.