Sam’s Club, a warehouse club whose membership has reached a record high, said on Wednesday that it would be raising its annual dues this fall as a result of consumers scrimping for deals on large purchases and the warehouse club’s membership remaining at a record high. Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart.

Dues for regular club members will increase from $45 to $50, while “Plus” members—who have access to greater benefits—would pay $110 rather than $100. The alterations will take effect on October 17.

The basic membership fee hasn’t increased in nine years, making this the first time. The price of the “Plus” membership has not increased at Sam’s Club since it was introduced in 1999.

With Costco charging $120 for its top-tier “Gold” membership and $60 for its entry-level “Basic” membership, Sam’s is now more reasonably priced.

Sam’s Club is increasing annual fees as warehouse clubs benefit from customers who are price-conscious. Customers raced to Costco, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Sam’s Club in the early phases of the Covid outbreak to stock up on massive packs of toilet paper, household cleaners, and soup cans. To battle inflation, these customers recently searched for cheaper gas costs and significant volume discounts.

The rise can be more severe as a result of inflation. Wednesday afternoon, Sam’s Club CEO Kath McLay wrote to members to inform them that the company is “mindful of the financial impact on wallets right now.”

In light of this, she continued, Sam’s Club will pay the cost this year by offsetting the fee rise with Sam’s Cash, which is redeemable at its stores.

A potential increase in Costco’s fees has been predicted by investors. The club’s membership fees recently went up in June 2017, and this year’s raise would be expected given that it generally does so every 512 years.

Costco CEO Craig Jelinek rebuffed suggestions of a price rise on “Squawk on the Street” with CNBC in July. I can assure you that we give it some thought each year, but as far as the membership fee is concerned, it isn’t currently on the table, he said. I’ve been fairly clear. In my opinion, now is not the right time.

Sam’s Club has over 600 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico. Although it doesn’t disclose the precise number of subscribers, it stated in the most recent quarter that it had reached a record high. The revenue from memberships increased by 8.9% during the quarter that ended on July 31.

Walmart’s business is expanding less swiftly in other areas than it is in sales. Sam’s Club’s same-store sales grew by 9.5% in the most recent quarter while Walmart U.S. saw a 6.5% gain.

Ciara Anfield, Chief Member and Marketing Officer, asserted that Sam’s Club made the choice as a result of investments made in recent years, including upgrading the quality of the products on its shelves and providing cutting-edge and useful shopping methods.

It has updated its Member’s Mark private brand, offered same-day home delivery, added same-day curbside pickup, and updated its Member’s Mark private brand. It has also launched Scan & Go, a smartphone app that enables shoppers to ring up products as they move along an aisle. Names like Eddie Bauer, La Mer, and Banana Republic have only recently been added to the stock. Even the bakery’s delicacies have undergone a gourmet transformation, such the cinnamon buns made with a French baking technique.

She compared the introduction of those additional advantages to building a house or making financial investments in remodelling projects.

Anfield claims that there is a notion that after investing in this home, its worth would rise. “We’ve invested, and we believe that our proposition and membership are now worth more.”