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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.
You really have missed the point. The cost savings is not the only reason a lot of us love Costco. They make it easy to shop because, unlike regular stores, they do not have 5,000 varieties of each item. While that might seem counterproductive and backwards, it actually makes shopping easier. How many times have we gone to a regular store and stared at a bunch of different brands of the same product, and how often do we simply grab one brand to get the Hell out of there ? Costco has maybe one or a few choices, so you do not have to give it much thought at all. They have done the legwork for you.
Secondly, I have never bought one item at Costco that I was disappointed in the quality of. Their Kirkland brand products are well thought out and of good quality. They also turn their inventory over so often that everything is fresh and has a good shelf life.
A store that takes advantage of purchasing at scale and uses those savings to pay their employees better compensation while passing along savings to the consumer while offering consumers a single destination to buy staple items? I’d say Costco is one of the few things that’s right in America at the moment.
I use to think Costco was like a low end Walmart that middle class Americans would go to so they could buy a bunch of cheap junk.
But it was my surprise to learn Americans over all wage levels go there. This smart attractive girl I know goes to Costco with her friends, most of my family also go to Costco to my surprise, as well as a bunch of celebrities.
I was wondering why people were so obsessed with Costco then I realized it was the manifestation of modern day America. Inside a strip mall, subscription fees, easy credit spending, cheap goods from overseas and factory farms, promotes over-consumption, and acts as a social meeting ground for a bunch of people.
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.
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.
Well, I think I know a little bit about Costco, I've been a member since they took over Price Club that was sometime in the early 90's. My son put himself through college working at Costco, he was paid very well & had full benefits and a generous tuition reimbursement. I've bought stuff at Costco that I wasn't happy with from time to time but I've never had an issue returning anything.
I'm not sure what you consider "civil traditions" when it comes to shopping - I sure don't find Safeway, Raley's or SaveMart to be a "civil tradition". Heck they are all just stores. Sorry but I can't bring myself to romanticize the American grocery store experience.
Every grocery store in this country is homogenous.
We can't all be hipsters and go to farmers markets and CSA's and such -- lol
I love my fish CSA -- just saying --- fresh grouper -- OMG........and yes I buy local farm produce...I was just admitting that kind of shopping is not available everywhere.
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.
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.
Is anyone surprised that the man who believes that Widgets are real has formed such an opinion of Costco, in spite of never having been in one?
Every grocery store in this country is homogenous.
We can't all be hipsters and go to farmers markets and CSA's and such -- lol
I love my fish CSA -- just saying --- fresh grouper -- OMG........and yes I buy local farm produce...I was just admitting that kind of shopping is not available everywhere.
But why is that, why are local food supply chains not available in many small towns and cities.
But why is that, why are local food supply chains not available in many small towns and cities.
That is the question you need to be asking.
economy of scale. Walmart can probably broker a price for tomatoes for 50 cents a pound, your local small town grocer would probably pay twice that and their customers would say "these tomatoes are too expensive, let's just drive 40 miles and shop at Walmart"
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.
I think you would to well in San Francisco, where you can get a delightful bag of curated pantry items for a mere $55.
- 2 pound bag of brown rice from Massa Organics
- 16 ounce bottle of olive oil from Bariani Olive Oil
- 2 pound bag of white cornmeal from Capay Mills
- 8 ounce jar of honey from Marshalls Farm Honey
- 5.3 ounce jar of herbes de provence from All Star Organics
- 1 pound bag of dried butter beans from Iacopi Farms
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