Do you need a member ship

Yes

You do not need a membership but the kicker is that you pay a 10% premium for everything you buy. The membership pays for itself with a couple trips to the store when you are spending a $100 or $200 and up. Prices on alot of stuff in bulk saves alot if you shop there every month or couple weeks.

Yes. You can look around for free but you will need to join to purchase anything. You can sometimes find a new member offer on groupon