Sam's Club bundles Weight Watchers benefit as Costco expands GLP-1 access
The two warehouse clubs are now competing over weight-management perks, including free coaching for Sam's Club Plus members and discounted GLP-1 prices at Costco.
Sam's Club Plus members are getting a free three-month Weight Watchers Core membership, valued at $54, and discounts of up to 50% on Weight Watchers' Core+ and Med+ plans, under a partnership announced in July 2026 [1]. The move puts the Walmart-owned club in direct competition with Costco, which offers members discounted telehealth weight-loss programs and GLP-1 medications [1].
After the free three months, Sam's Club Plus members can continue the Core plan for $10 a month with no long-term commitment, according to the announcement [1]. Core+ adds personalized wellness coaching, nutrition recommendations, and access to virtual and in-person workshops [1]. The companies said the program is meant to support members making lifestyle changes, members taking GLP-1 medications, and people exploring clinical weight-management options [1].
"At Sam's Club, our purpose is to help people save money and live better," Sam's Club chief merchant Myron Frazier said in the announcement [1]. Weight Watchers chief commercial officer Scott Honken said people can improve nutrition, sustain weight loss and improve quality of life with guidance, support and community [1].
Membership prices matter here because the benefits are tied to a paid tier. Sam's Club Plus costs $120 a year; the standard Club membership is $60 [1]. Costco's Gold Star membership is $65 a year and its Executive membership is $130 [1]. Costco offers the oral Wegovy tablet for $149 a month through its pharmacies, or $151.99 through Prescription Home Delivery, and a 50% discount on Wegovy and Ozempic injections, which are brand names for semaglutide [1].
Sam's Club made its own GLP-1 move in January 2026, offering starting doses of the oral Wegovy tablet for $149 a month through NovoCare's self-pay program, with free same-day pharmacy delivery for Plus members [1]. The club also introduced pharmacist counseling on medication management, nutrition and side effects, plus a digital wellness app [1].
Demand is behind the competition. About 11% of U.S. adults were taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss in 2026, up from 3% in 2024, and roughly 15% said they had used one at some point, according to Gallup figures cited in the report [1]. Familiarity with the drugs' role in weight loss rose to 91% from 80% over the same period [1]. The U.S. weight-loss market was valued at $11.12 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $21 billion by 2034, a 7.4% compound annual growth rate, according to Market Data Forecast [1].
On the business side, Walmart reported Sam's Club U.S. net sales up 6.1% year over year in its most recent quarter, with membership and other income up 11% and membership-fee revenue up 5.6% [1]. Walmart executive vice president and chief financial officer John David Rainey said such investments "supported the membership fee increase that became effective on May 1" [1].
Why it matters for patients
The main practical change is bundling: a Sam's Club Plus member who already pays the $120 annual fee can now get three months of Weight Watchers Core at no extra cost, then pay $10 a month, rather than buying a standalone program [1]. Costco members, meanwhile, get access to set self-pay prices on certain semaglutide products — $149 a month for the oral Wegovy tablet and 50% off Wegovy and Ozempic injections [1].
Both sets of prices are tied to memberships and to self-pay programs, not insurance. Whether either club's offerings are covered by insurance, and whether the Weight Watchers Med+ plan includes prescriptions or prescriber visits, has not been disclosed [1]. The two clubs' published prices differ by only a few dollars a month on the oral Wegovy tablet, so the larger difference is in what each membership charges and what coaching each one includes [1].
What happens next
Some milestones are dated. Sam's Club announced the oral Wegovy starting-dose price in January 2026, and its membership fee increase took effect May 1, 2026 [1]. The Weight Watchers collaboration was announced July 9, 2026, and the deal pairs the free months with the existing Plus tier [1].
The start date for the free three-month Weight Watchers benefit has not been reported, and neither company has said how long the promotional pricing will last or whether Costco will change its own GLP-1 offerings in response [1].
Sources
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