Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This post applies to Charlotte, NC area, but I would advise all members of COSTCO to read it. I have a sneaking suspicion that these "regionalization" practices are corporation-wide and members NEED TO KNOW how prices vary within a city.
FYI - RIP-OFF report: COSTCO gas in its Matthews store ( a suburb of Charlotte) is $1.71/gallon as of today. Great news, right? Well hold on a minute~~ at Charlotte's Tyvola Rd store, the same gas sells for $1.90/gallon, a price variance of NINETEEN CENTS PER GALLON. Interesting that the "COSTCO Wholesale Club" membership costs the SAME for everyone but if you happen to shop the Tyvola store, you are being victimized by Costco's "price regionalization" practice.
OK, I know transportation is a costing factor, but could anyone possibly believe it costs them NINETEEN CENTS MORE PER GALLON to truck that gas 13 miles further down the road to the Tyvola store?
More weirdness: COSTCO's "regionalization" supposedly means they price shop their products in a 50 mile radius. Did someone move South Carolina? Because the Tyvola store is easily within 15 - not 50 - miles from the SC border, where gas taxes and therefore gas prices are MUCH lower.
WORSE NEWS: "regionalization" could be affecting the pricing of ALL products in COSTCO's Charlotte stores. The way they flexed that "50 mile radius" in the case of the gas price (excluding SC) means...COSTCO is fast coming to "what the market will bear".
I also noticed that comments on COSTCO's website appeared to have been closed out effective when the new CEO took over - 2012. That's W. Craig Jelinek, I think. GLowing reviews ranged from 2008 to 2012. Nothing allowed in comments since then.
Wonder if that is a telling indication of what direction he is taking COSTCO.
I'm beginning to wonder if all the positive PR on "great wages at COSTCO" wasn't designed to redirect our attention from what is REALLY happening in corporate...
How much is gas retailing for in the trade areas of Costco warehouses 359 (500 Tyvola Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28217-3504) and 367 (2125 Matthews Township Parkway, Matthews, North Carolina 28105-5766)? If they are on par before Costco's member pricing in each trade area, then the Tyvola Road trade area must be expensive.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,687 posts, read 81,491,960 times
Reputation: 57948
Our Costco is at $2.19, and we are happy with that since the name brands are at $2.89. One other item affecting the gas price is local gas and sales tax, but regional prices are normal for everything, especially gas. Things like the price of land, utilities, cost of living (salaries) and sales volume all affect prices. No other store has the exact same prices in every store throughout the country, why would Costco? Would you prefer to pay a higher membership fee in a higher cost area? Like any business, I would expect them to charge what the market will bear at each location, that's how to make money. We shop at Costco (non-perishables) in Vancouver, B.C. when we are up there and their prices are higher than other Canadian cities but with the favorable exchange rate, we save a lot.
You don't like it? Don't shop there. Pretty simple.
If you think other retailers don't have different prices both everyday and when on sale in different markets then you are fooling yourself. They all do it do different degrees.
I'm not sure where you are going with this...Costco doesn't price their gas the same as all other Costco Stores, but they are competitive with other local gas stations. In Sacramento Costco gas is $2.33, 10 miles away in Roseville it's $2.28. As a consumer I have a choice to buy gas wherever I want, and if I disagree with Costco's policies I am free to terminate my membership.
This is no different than any other store. There are price differences between the Monroe Walmart and the Indian Trail Walmart when they are only a few miles apart. Prices are set based on the area they serve along with many other factors including local taxes, real estate costs, wages, etc.
It doesn't make a bit of sense and I have noticed it as well. The Costco is almost always much more cheaper than the Matthews location. I have noticed at how different gas prices are throughout the county.
For the longest time gas at the Tyvola Road store was cheaper than the Matthews store. It fluctuates.
When Costco compares themselves to the local area, it's on the pre-tax per gallon price. State gas taxes are higher in North Carolina, that's just a fact of life right now.
By the way, $1.719 matches the price that gas is being sold for in many of the stations along US 521 in Indian Land, SC. No membership necessary. Feel free to fill up down there.
Personally I find that Costco gas is a convenience. It's also nice that someone is there to monitor the pumps regularly, which cuts down on the chance of a skimmer on the card reader.
For the longest time gas at the Tyvola Road store was cheaper than the Matthews store. It fluctuates.
When Costco compares themselves to the local area, it's on the pre-tax per gallon price. State gas taxes are higher in North Carolina, that's just a fact of life right now.
By the way, $1.719 matches the price that gas is being sold for in many of the stations along US 521 in Indian Land, SC. No membership necessary. Feel free to fill up down there.
Personally I find that Costco gas is a convenience. It's also nice that someone is there to monitor the pumps regularly, which cuts down on the chance of a skimmer on the card reader.
I agree with this... Since moving to Charlotte about a year ago, I always pumped at the Tyvola Rd. Costco and was always happy with the price. Now, since we live in Indian Trail, I am much closer to the Matthews store and I noticed a while back that gas was ALWAYS cheaper at the Tyvola Rd. Costco. I'm actually surprised that the Matthews Costco is now cheaper.
Anyhow, I recently visited Indian Land, SC for a dentist appointment and noticed gas was $1.71 on Johnston Rd. (521) which is a 5 minute drive from my workplace. I'll be going there from now on. It's the cheapest I've seen and so close to work it actually saves me time as well.
I don't understand. If you don't like the prices of gas, don't buy from them?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
