Sam’s Club has opened a new Northern California warehouse and rolled out steep membership discounts, pressing a price fight against Costco on the rival’s home turf.
The Walmart subsidiary held a soft opening for members Wednesday evening at 16150 Golden Valley Parkway in Lathrop, then marked the grand opening Thursday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Club manager Ann Perry and Lathrop Mayor Paul Akinjo were on hand as the nearly 170,000-square-foot warehouse began serving shoppers. The New York Post reported the store as Sam’s Club’s 31st location in California, its eighth in Northern California, and the first in San Joaquin County, about 10 miles south of Stockton.
The opening puts the chain deeper into Costco country. Pricing is the lever Sam’s Club is using to win members.
New members can join at promotional rates through Sept. 30 at the Lathrop store and at Sam’s Club locations in Sacramento and Concord. Club membership is offered at $25, a $35 break from the regular $60 annual price. Plus membership is offered at $50, down $70 from the regular $120 rate.
Those regular Sam’s Club prices already sit below Costco’s posted fees. Costco’s Gold Star membership runs $65 a year. Its Executive membership runs $130 a year and includes 2% rewards capped at $1,250.
Sam’s Club Plus, at the regular $120 rate, includes 2% Sam’s Cash back capped at $750, free shipping on eligible orders, and early shopping hours. The company raised membership prices 20% last May, then turned to discounting to pull in California shoppers.
Curbside pickup and delivery within an hour are part of the pitch at the new warehouse, alongside the usual bulk grocery, household, and seasonal departments shoppers expect from a membership club.
During the Thursday ceremony, Sam’s Club distributed about $35,000 in grants to local nonprofits: Toys for Tots, the Boys & Girls Club of Manteca, and Second Harvest of the Greater Valley.
Opening-week traffic builders run through Saturday, Sept. 26, with samples, giveaways, and games. Food and grilling influencer Jack Mancuso was scheduled to appear Friday afternoon.
None of that changes the core business move. A major warehouse club is planting a flag in a new California county and advertising a cheaper door price than the best-known competitor in the same format.
Sam’s Club started a broader rebrand in October 2025, debuting changes at a location in Springdale, Arkansas. The effort includes a new logo and the slogan “Come Join Us,” along with store remodel features now showing up as the chain expands.
Another California warehouse is planned in Visalia at 4545 S. Mooney Blvd. in the Central Valley. No opening date has been set.
Taken together, the Lathrop launch, the limited-time membership cuts, the Northern California footprint, and the Visalia plan sketch a clear California push built around price and convenience rather than rhetoric.
Shoppers gain when big retailers fight for their business on fees, hours, and service. California families should welcome another warehouse option that has to earn memberships the hard way, by beating the other guy on value.