TJ's two-buck Chuck and Costco's Kirkland Signature Chardonnay are about to get a little more competition. Budget-conscious wine connoisseurs with a membership to Sam's Club will be able to snag some low-cost bottles when they're stocking up on bulk toilet paper and coconut water. Food & Wine reports that the warehouse club store is stocking its shelves with a private-label wine that retails for only $8.
For now, the only option is a California Chardonnay, but lovers of red wine shouldn't fret. According to Sam's Club, there are plenty of additions coming.
"They pay a membership fee, so they expect to find unique items," Chandra Holt, vice president of Sam's Club's private brands, told Fortune magazine of the wine.
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A Cabernet from Napa Valley is on the slate, so anyone looking to stock up on reds and whites alike will have one more way to fill that wine cabinet. But that's not all: Sam's Club will also be carrying low-price prosecco and Champagne in the months ahead. Soon, shoppers will have a cheap option for all of their food pairings (and Thursday-night TV shows).
Why the sudden additions? F&W reports that Costco gets 20% of its yearly revenue from wine sales alone, so Sam's Club is hoping to get in on the vino-fueled profit. But booze isn't the only gourmet good to hit the store.
Recently, Sam's Club has been adding Italian olive oil to the lineup of Member’s Mark, its in-house label. And to streamline things for shoppers, the club has whittled everything down to one name, instead of the 21 private-label brands it had previously. Think of Member's Mark as Sam's Club's own Kirkland Signature — and with 300 products bearing the name coming to stores soon, shoppers are sure to find something they like.