Question: Which is older — Sam’s Club or Costco?

Answer: Both are turning 40 this year. Sam Walton opened the first Sam’s Club on April 7, 1983, in Midwest City, Oklahoma, 21 years after he founded Walmart. Meanwhile, Costco traces its origins to 1976 but didn’t become Costco until Sept. 1, 1983. That’s when the first Costco warehouse location was opened in Kirkland, the Seattle suburb. While Costco has yet to discover B-N — there’s a Costco in Champaign and East Peoria — Aug. 28 is the 20th anniversary of a Sam’s Club opening in Normal.