Price Club

The first Price Club location opened on July 12, 1976,[2] in San Diego, at the former site of a manufacturing building previously owned by Howard Hughes.

[5] Therefore, Price Club was originally positioned as a much larger, volume-oriented version of the cash-and-carry wholesale format, meaning that prospective members were required to present resale certificates or professional licenses.

[5][1] The company charged shoppers a $25 annual membership fee to purchase bulk products at discount prices in a no-frills warehouse setting.

Price Club's high sales volume enabled it to pay its employees higher wages and offer greater benefits than typical retailers.

The company eventually expanded to 94 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico (in joint venture with Controladora Comercial Mexicana).