During the 2020 peak of the pandemic, wholesale retailers thrived by offering people the chance to buy in bulk and make fewer trips to the store. Two years later, however, wholesale retailers are grappling with inflation — and while Costco has raised its prices to cope with it, Sam's Club has other reasons for making a change to its membership price towards the end of 2022.

On October 17, 2022, Sam’s Club will be raising its prices from $45 to $50 for the basic membership and from $100 to $110 for its Plus members. This is the first time in nine years that the chain has raised its membership prices, and for this year, to help customers with the abrupt change, the chain will give back $5 for every basic renewal and $10 for every Plus renewal.

Sam’s Club attributes the price increases to the introduction of new brands and technology, as well as upgrading all 600 clubs. This is particularly impactful considering wholesale prices climbed from 10.9% in July 2021 to 11.3% in July 2022, so other wholesale companies may follow suit — especially Costco, which raises its membership prices every five to six years.