Price Club vs. Price Smart

Hello All:

Arbitrarily, I am looking at membership at Price Smart in Sto. Dom. However, I am aware that there is also a Price Club. Any essential difference between the two or is it "six in one hand, half a dozen in the other?"

Secondly, just as in Costco in the United States, one is asked for his membership card prior to entry. At Price Smart, can I look without buying in order to decide if I want to purchase a membership? The answer to this most obvious question is nowhere to be found at the website. In addition no phone number exists, neither in Contacts, nor in Google maps, except for the corporate phone number in San Diego, CA.

Thank you!

Lucas61 said:

Hello All:

Arbitrarily, I am looking at membership at Price Smart in Sto. Dom. However, I am aware that there is also a Price Club. Any essential difference between the two or is it "six in one hand, half a dozen in the other?"

Secondly, just as in Costco in the United States, one is asked for his membership card prior to entry. At Price Smart, can I look without buying in order to decide if I want to purchase a membership? The answer to this most obvious question is nowhere to be found at the website. In addition no phone number exists, neither in Contacts, nor in Google maps, except for the corporate phone number in San Diego, CA.

Thank you!

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well there are 3 priceSmart locations in Dingo, as far as I can remember there is no "Price Club". There is a shoe store called the Price Club in Villa Consuelo, but I serious doubt you would be shopping over there.

According to the web site the CEO is a guy named Price, who is from a Price company which also started Price Club. So maybe they are similar? They seem to have Prices.

An issue I had with Costco was that their Mexican stores would not accept a US membership card. However by the looks of the price web site it appears the membership might be universal.

They don't have alot of products on their site, but I saw an LG computer monitor for around 6k, it would cost about 160 to get the same monitor from amazon and delivered to Santo Domingo. So maybe the price co is worthwhile.

Price Smart was formed by people that used to work at COSTCO. They copied the idea of COSTCO in Latin America. They have a number of the same "house brands" and at one time even sold the COSTCO hot dogs.

Price Smart has the house brands such as Kirkland at a higher price than name brands. Duh...How "Smart" is that? Electronics are still very un-Smartly priced.

Since Price Smart is a separate company from COSTCO, they won't be accepting a COSTCO card for purchases.

Price Club looks like just a clothing store.

OP Sum-up on Price Smart

windeguy said:

Price Smart was formed by people that used to work at COSTCO. They copied the idea of COSTCO in Latin America. They have a number of the same "house brands" and at one time even sold the COSTCO hot dogs.

Price Smart has the house brands such as Kirkland at a higher price than name brands. Duh...How "Smart" is that? Electronics are still very un-Smartly priced.

Since Price Smart is a separate company from COSTCO, they won't be accepting a COSTCO card for purchases.

Price Club looks like just a clothing store.

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OP Sum-up: If you are feeling that tinge of Heimweh, go to Price Smart and you will feel just as if you are walking the aisles of Costco. At Costco in the U.S. you can save a lot of money if you buy household cleaning supplies and staples in bulk. The same is NOT true for Price Smart. The prices are much higher than Costco, by comparison, in other words, most of the items I looked at had prices nearly identical to those at La Sirena and, therefore, NO SAVINGS. However, this was not true for all items. Adult pampers cost 11 pesos per unit rather than 35. Eight name-brand toothbrushes could be purchased at 50 pesos per unit. If you search the store, which I still must do, possibly you could find ten or so items that you regularly use that would add up to a savings. Overall, I give the store a "D" in comparison to the savings that one finds in the U.S. at Costco. It seems that one reason people might shop here is for the supposed cache of American brands, which charge a premium, when perfectly satisfactory facsimiles are available in the D.R.

You are not permitted to enter the store without paying for a membership (RD$1500 for one year; two cards; both persons need to be present with identification), but they will refund you if you are not satisfied. For the narrow reason I stated above, I decided to keep my membership, but Price Smart is not the kind of place that will "save the day" on your budget, but it might help if you are very selective. Also, you might find a one-off item that justifies membership. For me, this was sturdy, metal shelving at a good price.

windeguy is right. Prices of electronics are "through the roof." Better to buy from Amazon or Newegg and use a courier service.

Just go to Price Smart. The prices are worth the stuff you can’t get anywhere else and the clothes and furniture are good quality. I don’t go there to save anything. I go to get the things I can’t get anywhere else.

Harleysrock said:

Just go to Price Smart. The prices are worth the stuff you can’t get anywhere else and the clothes and furniture are good quality. I don’t go there to save anything. I go to get the things I can’t get anywhere else.

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I love the ribs and Angus burgers

El Rey de Mangu said:

I love the ribs and Angus burgers

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I even got very good and inexpensive filet mignon at Price Smart once. I state once, because the second time I about the same "product" it was more like DR beef and everyone knows how good regular DR beef is.

Agreed that it is not a "savings" place but one for items that you would otherwise have to import yourself.

windeguy said:

I even got very good and inexpensive filet mignon at Price Smart once. I state once, because the second time I about the same "product" it was more like DR beef and everyone knows how good regular DR beef is.

Agreed that it is not a "savings" place but one for items that you would otherwise have to import yourself.

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the imported angus churrascos, tenderloins, etc. should be the real deal. if not, Tony Fish in Puerto Plata (don't know where you are)

Lucas61 said:

OP Sum-up: If you are feeling that tinge of Heimweh, go to Price Smart and you will feel just as if you are walking the aisles of Costco. At Costco in the U.S. you can save a lot of money if you buy household cleaning supplies and staples in bulk. The same is NOT true for Price Smart. The prices are much higher than Costco, by comparison, in other words, most of the items I looked at had prices nearly identical to those at La Sirena and, therefore, NO SAVINGS. However, this was not true for all items. Adult pampers cost 11 pesos per unit rather than 35. Eight name-brand toothbrushes could be purchased at 50 pesos per unit. If you search the store, which I still must do, possibly you could find ten or so items that you regularly use that would add up to a savings. Overall, I give the store a "D" in comparison to the savings that one finds in the U.S. at Costco. It seems that one reason people might shop here is for the supposed cache of American brands, which charge a premium, when perfectly satisfactory facsimiles are available in the D.R.

You are not permitted to enter the store without paying for a membership (RD$1500 for one year; two cards; both persons need to be present with identification), but they will refund you if you are not satisfied. For the narrow reason I stated above, I decided to keep my membership, but Price Smart is not the kind of place that will "save the day" on your budget, but it might help if you are very selective. Also, you might find a one-off item that justifies membership. For me, this was sturdy, metal shelving at a good price.

windeguy is right. Prices of electronics are "through the roof." Better to buy from Amazon or Newegg and use a courier service.

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I strongly disagree with that.

Yes compare to Costco price are way higher, like any store in this country.

If you compare PSmart to the store in DR there isn't much item that are not cheaper. I would like to see your comparisons because every time I do I find that I am saving some.

Also its the only store that actually offer you a guarantee and possibility to return something, please try to return an item at la sirena after a week and see how it goes.

Can't compare apple with oranges...