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Really? So odd. You don't use...toilet paper, coffee, butter, tuna, plastic wrap, chicken, olive oil, toothpaste, nuts, bacon, vitamins...? Or maybe you just mean you prefer buying in small quantities, or only very specific brands. Okay.
I only buy specific things at Costco. I'm not an impulse shopper (my husband is, which is why I go and he doesn't!) I price things out and if I'm not saving it by buying at Costco, I don't buy.
But, for example, the coffee k-cups my family prefers are $0.38 each at Costco, but $0.54 at Wal-Mart. When you drink as much coffee as we do, that adds up. Tillamook cheddar cheese is $4.80/lb at Costco and $6.62/lb at Wal-Mart. We eat a lot of cheese, too.
Its more about what it represents than anything else.
It is a road side warehouse filled with grey textures, packaged goods for middle income families, all tied to a credit based subscription fee.
Meaning what?
You'd have to make the membership purchase at a store, but as far as I can tell, you can pay cash for the membership and not give them a credit card.
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Its cheap, but is that a good thing?
It is apparent that so many people like Costco, and have difficulty criticizing. But just because you embrace something doesn't mean you can't abhor it as well.
Costco overreaches in trying to replace civil traditions with a family of consumers. I have seen how everyone loves it despite the lack of sophistication. There are more important things than herding together people in a practical manner.
I have not stepped foot in one, but I drove pass one and it epitomizes the strip mall culture that feeds on the financial burdened.
It is mass media at its worse, giving people across the country a homogeneous shopping experience that they share with one another. Case in point how much everyone here already knows about all the Costco schemes, as if it was some community gathering.
You've never been inside any of the locations, yet you started a thread about the store. Hmm . Okay.
But you can see it here yourself, people bonding over their knowledge of Costco; it is a primary example of the homogenization of consumption turning itself into a cultural center for people to define traditions and values.
And what is that? The beast of practicality, where it is best to herd people through a depressing grey box on the side of the road so they can maximize their economic value.
You don't have any personal knowledge re what it's like because, admittedly, you've never been inside one.
It's not just groceries or toiletries--Costco has an automotive repair and tire shop, a vision center, and a travel agency. They sell furniture and appliances as well. Others have already mentioned the affordable alcohol selection and cheap gas prices. OP it sounds like you've never set food in Costco or have seen their website or their circular.
Their Kirkland dog food alone makes it worth it for me. A 40lb bag runs $28 and has the same exact ingredients of another brand I was paying almost $60 for, and for a smaller bag! I also love that I can stock up and not have to constantly be hitting stores to replenish essentials. One paper towel purchase and I'm good for at least 5-6 months. Only thing I avoid is perishables, for a single person the sizes are too large to use before they go bad.
In many ways YES x 1,000,000. This Costco mentality will soon be thrown out the window as we become more and more less reliant on other countries to make our goods. The writing is on the wall. Will anything good come out of CV? Yes! It's time to reopen factories in the US and start those conveyor belts. Made in the USA will become a huge deal.
Will the cost of goods go up? Yes! Screw the Costco mentality. I'm perfectly willing to pay more for goods knowing that my dollar stays in the US and jobs are being created in OUR country. Win/win if you ask me.
Something has to give and that something is Costco mentality!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, I'm ok with big warehouse companies as long as they learn to pivot away from just the cheapest price around. Worshiping cheap goods is what has gotten us into trouble in the first place. We can continue to buy bulk as long as it's USA manufactured goods.
I think we've learned our lesson.
Last edited by pete98146; 04-15-2020 at 05:58 PM..
Costco is fine, but the customers are a problem. They go from one free sample station to the next, stuffing food in their faces. Maybe it is just me, but seeing 300 lb. scooter types is not my idea of enjoyment.
maybe try to refocus for know what you're actually there for instead of worrying about others around.
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Originally Posted by CatPeople
Costco is fine, but the customers are a problem. They go from one free sample station to the next, stuffing food in their faces. Maybe it is just me, but seeing 300 lb. scooter types is not my idea of enjoyment.
This thread which seemingly was started to bash Costco has turned out to be a long love letter to Costco.
We are members who rarely shop the inside of a Costco (for ourselves), but the membership gives us other benefits we value.
The credit card alone earns us ~$1000 per year in cash rewards for our usual spending.
We buy practically all of our gasoline at Costco, even mapping Costcos along the route when driving cross country (we do this drive yearly.) I read once that Costco gasoline is not just cheaper, it is higher quality than average.
We've used the Costco auto program to easily save thousands of dollars on new vehicles.
We are currently taking advantage of Costco's home lender program to refinance a home.
That Costco offers quality merchandise when we do go inside, and that the company values its workers and provides them more than mere lip service, are just more reasons to applaud the company.
As I mentioned earlier, all of my cars run on Premium fuel, and I have never had a bad tank of gas from Costco. They turn it over so fast that it never gets stale, and I like the safety of using my credit card there because they have attendants standing right there who constantly monitor the gas pumps to make sure the seals are intact.
When I have had to get gas at other places, I always wonder if a skimmer is in the credit card slot, and I have also gotten gas that was loaded with water and trash at other stations.
The other item I buy at Costco is the Scoop Away kitty litter. It is about $5 cheaper than at the grocery stores, and is a larger container, like 42 pounds.
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. Okay.
