3 Good Reasons to Buy Clothing at Costco

Your local Costco could be a source of not just bulk grocery items, but clothing, too.

Many people join Costco to get access to bulk household essentials and grocery items. And shopping there can easily result in a lower credit card tab than shopping at supermarkets and big-box stores. But if you're only buying groceries and household supplies at Costco, you're potentially making a big mistake.

Costco actually carries a wide range of apparel for men, women, and children. Depending on the time of year, you'll find everything from winter coats to swimsuits to pajamas and activewear. Costco even carries footwear, accessories like gloves and hats, and some specialty clothing items, like party dresses. And here are a few good reasons to do your clothing shopping at Costco.

1. You can save money

Costco's competitive prices aren't just limited to food, cleaning supplies, and paper goods. Shopping there could also mean spending less on apparel.

Case in point: Right now, Costco has a three-pack of women's quick-dry t-shirts for $13.99 from one of its featured brands, 32 Degrees. Amazon, by contrast, is selling a two-pack of similar t-shirts by its Amazon Essentials brand for $17.40. When you do the math, you can see that Costco's offering is the much better deal.

Of course, this is just one example, and if you have the time to comparison-shop, it pays to do so. The point, however, is that you'll often find great deals on clothing at Costco. And if you're trying to grow your savings account balance, that's important.

2. You can access brands you may not find elsewhere

If you shop at Costco a lot, you may be familiar with the Kirkland brand, which is Costco's signature brand. You can find Kirkland-branded clothing, and a lot of it is actually quite stylish and comfortable. But you generally won't find Kirkland clothing at a regular department store.

3. You don't have to make a separate trip to another store

Let's say you're out grocery shopping at Costco, and your child needs new socks or athletic pants. Your day is already jam-packed, and your nearest clothing store is a good 15 minutes out of your way -- each way. In that scenario, it pays to see if Costco has what you need. Although Costco's selection of apparel can be limited, if the store has what you want, it might save you the trip to another store. The result? More free time for you, and less money spent on gas.

You may not think of Costco as a go-to source for clothing. But it pays to walk around your warehouse club store and see what's in stock. You can also find great deals on clothing by shopping at Costco online. In fact, you may find a wider range of sizes and selection online, so if your local store doesn't have what you're looking for, Costco's website is worth checking out.

Best of all, you can commonly find clothing deals at Costco online that ship out for free. So in some cases, you may not even have to leave the house at all.