It'll cost you $5 more to save at Costco

In yet another sign of the times, Costco is raising its annual membership fees by 10 percent on November 1. And while that's only $5 to $10, depending on membership type, it's a sizeable chunk of change when you consider Costco has more than 22 million members.

A basic or business membership will cost $55 a year, and the top-level executive membership, which includes an annual rebate, will cost $110. A basic membership at the competition costs $40 a year at Sam's Club; at BJ's Wholesale Club, it's $50.

It seems unlikely the increase will scare off Costco members. Our supermarket survey of more than 32,000 subscribers found that out of 59 supermarkets, Costco was among the top rated, scoring high in satisfaction despite having minimal service, carrying mostly bulk items, and charging a membership fee just to get in the door. Costco's strength was its prices. Our readers also like to shop at Costco for small appliances.

You'll see Kirkland products, Costco's store brand, in many of our Ratings. The prices are appealing, but performance varies. Kirkland Signature car batteries rated a CR Best Buy as did its brand of chardonnay. Kirkland Signature dish liquid and Ultra High-Efficiency laundry detergent are rated Very Good, but the Gel dishwasher detergent is only Fair and at the bottom of our Ratings. And while the Kirkland Signature 100 percent Colombian coffee was among the cheapest, it was so-so overall.

—Kimberly Janeway