(consumerreports.com) Gallon jars of mayonnaise and 30-roll packs of toilet paper have made warehouse clubs seem appropriate mainly for platoon-size families focused on staples. But if you haven’t joined, you could be missing out on a widening range of choices. Today’s clubs not only stock some smaller sizes but also sell a wider range of services and more luxury products. And as always, there are no sweaty palms when you pay: The deals are great, day in and day out.

The nation’s biggest clubs, Costco and Sam’s Club, with 95 million cardholders between them, might seem like clones. But there are differences that can guide your choice if you haven’t joined, or lead you to switch clubs. To determine which one deserves your membership ($40 to $100 a year), we shopped at both, compared their prices with those charged by competitors, interviewed experts, and reviewed data from readers surveyed by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The highlights: (more…)