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Jim Koepke
03-14-2016, 11:59 AM
This started with an article in what used to be my local paper when I lived in the San Francisco area. The article is a repeat of how to find the best deals at Costco:

http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/16-shopping-secrets-to-save-time-and-money-at-6886480.php

It discusses a bit about retail in general of how the high mark up items are displayed and where the bargains reside. It also mentions some of the 'secret coding' of the Costco price tags such as stars and prices ending in a 7.

It was actually a lead in to a Business Insider article about Costco beating Amazon and Walmart with their business model:

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-costcos-business-model-is-so-great-2016-2

Which had a link at the bottom about someone actually comparing Costco online prices with Amazon:

http://www.businessinsider.com/costco-versus-amazon-prices-online-2014-12

One point is obvious, Costco has a very limited variety compared to many other retailers be it brick and mortar or click and order.

Candy and I are Costco members.

jtk

Ken Fitzgerald
03-14-2016, 12:45 PM
Costco is one of our favorite places to shop. The rule there is if you see something you want buy it now as you may never see it at Costco again in your life time!

It has it's pros and cons. Prior the one being built across the Snake River in Clarkston, WA, my neighbors wife and mine often drove to Spokane every 4-6 weeks to restock the larder with staple goods.

Larry Browning
03-14-2016, 1:55 PM
We do not have Costco in my area. We have Sam's Club. My understanding is that they are about the same. Do you have to be a member to shop there like you do at Sam's?

Shawn Pixley
03-14-2016, 2:28 PM
We Larry, I used to be a Costco member. There was amembership requirement and fee. We quit largely because It was too easy to impulse buy. We could seem to get out ofthere without spending 100$ minimum. I will not shop at Walmart nor Sam's club due to how they treat their employees.

I had a chance to buy Costco Stock at their IPO. Should have pulled thetrigger on that.

Robert Engel
03-14-2016, 2:45 PM
Tim Hawkins does a hilarious skit about shopping at the bulk stores.

Best part I remember is rolling a 55 gal drum of shampoo (or something like that) out of the store.

I wish we could get out for less than $200!!!

We eat huge amounts of vegetables each week and Sam's is the cheapest way to go for us, but you're right, you have to walk past all the bad stuff.

I don't know about Costco, but Sam's is actually starting to carry quite a few organic items.

Gerry Grzadzinski
03-14-2016, 2:52 PM
We do not have Costco in my area. We have Sam's Club. My understanding is that they are about the same. Do you have to be a member to shop there like you do at Sam's?


Yes, you do.

I'm a member at both, and while they are similar, they are not the same.

While they have many of the same items, Costco tends to have more higher end products. Costco also has a larger variety of food products, and imo, better food products.

Mike Null
03-14-2016, 4:02 PM
We used to belong to both. We quit Costco because they didn't open until 9AM (Sam's at 7AM), We had to use AMEX for gas-I don't like AMEX. My wife felt Sam's meats were better. Costco made a cinnamon roll that I loved-they discontinued it and I complained-too bad they said. so I didn't renew and haven't missed it.

I would rather give Costco my business but Sam's is better.

Steve Peterson
03-14-2016, 4:08 PM
We do not have Costco in my area. We have Sam's Club. My understanding is that they are about the same. Do you have to be a member to shop there like you do at Sam's?

Sam's is the same concept as Costco. You have to be a member, although you might be able to buy stuff at a 5% higher price without being a member.

We have both stores within a mile of each other. It is amazing how different the stores are. The Costco parking lot is always completely packed and the store is always busy. Sam's is rarely crowded, although they might only have 1 or 2 registers open so it sometimes takes a while in line. Our local Sam's has a self checkout that speeds things up it you pay with a credit card and don't have any alcohol or other restricted items.

I think Sam's has a slightly better selection. Costco has a limited selection with pallet sized loads of what they want you to buy. You usually need to shop somewhere else to get the things that they don't carry. I would estimate that Sam's has around 50% more items, although you may still need to go somewhere else to fill in the gaps.

Steve

Jim Koepke
03-14-2016, 4:12 PM
We quit largely because It was too easy to impulse buy. We could seem to get out ofthere without spending 100$ minimum.

A friend of mine calls it Costmo because of all the impulses to buy things.


Costco made a cinnamon roll that I loved-they discontinued it and I complained-too bad they said.

Sometimes the employees can be a little brusque. I think they have little power to change a management decision on stocking an item. I know some items come and go as contracts with suppliers come up for negotiations.

jtk

Art Mann
03-14-2016, 4:24 PM
Well. here is just one more experience. I am a member of Costco and Sam's Club. A while back, I quit Sam's because of the extreme incompetence of the people running the cash registers and management indifference. That is when we went to Costco. Their personnel are way better but the selection and prices are worse where we live. For that reason I joined Sam's club again and plan to dump Costco when the membership runs out. I now drive 40 minutes across town to shop at a distant Sam's rather than the one that is 10 minutes away because of the vastly improved customer service over there.

Paul McGaha
03-14-2016, 4:34 PM
We like Costco. One of our favorite stores really. Just bought a TV from them.

PHM

Jim Becker
03-14-2016, 8:44 PM
Long-time Costco members and our annual rebate pretty much covers our Executive membership cost. Their meat department is awesome and there are certain other things that we regularly buy, including their frozen "tilapia loins" (cleanly raised) and paper products. I buy my jeans from them, too, and the large TV in our MBR came from the store. Professor Dr. SWMBO often buys gas there, but I buy in NJ. All the LED lighting I recently put in my shop also came from Costco.

It's absolutely true, however, that if you see something you really like in many areas, buy it then. Certain items tend to be either once a year or one-time.

For folks who don't prefer AMEX, they are transitioning within a month to VISA and AMEX will no longer be accepted. After about 16 years, they got a better deal from VISA and have dropped AMEX. For me...that's a negative as AMEX is my preferred payment method. But I can deal with it as my Amazon VISA also gives points. :)

Costco also pays their people well and fairly. I would never shop at Sam's Club because of their association with Walmart. I don't do Walmart. Ever.

Jim Falsetti
03-14-2016, 9:32 PM
Costco is one of my favorite stores. Costco's business model is excellent - good quality with a 12% margin. Employees are well-trained and if you ask a question, they generally know the answer. Our annual rebate easily pays for the membership. Agree that buying too much stuff there is the biggest problem.

I bought Costco stock several year ago at $39/share when they had relatively lower profits, were in the middle of a huge expansion, and the Analysts were disparaging management with things like: "..need to get their costs in-line...need to raise their margins...it's a cult stock.." Among other poor management decisions, analysts were noting Costco overpaid their employees as compared to Walmart. The Analyists didn't get the Costco model at all - customer experience is much different at Costco, and a lot of customers prefer Costco over WalMart. Later, there was an academic study that showed Costco's labor costs were less than Walmart, when you factor in training costs from the higher Walmart turnover rate. It's $152/share now and they paid had a nice special dividend a few years back.

I no longer own the stock but still shop there.

Best,
Jim

Walter Plummer
03-14-2016, 9:52 PM
We have both and we have been members of both. Costco is way to much of a zoo for me. I think Sam's meat is better and shopping is a lot more relaxed. We save enough on the gas every year to pay for the membership.

paul cottingham
03-14-2016, 10:28 PM
Despite the fact we are poor, I have never, and never will set foot in a Walmart, due to how they treat both their employees and their suppliers. I have a friend who worked for two nurseries that were both put under by Walmart reneging on a contract. Their attitude was "go ahead sue us" as they knew they had more money to wait out a lawsuit.

They also put every single independent sports goods store in Victoria out of business, then cut their stock, and raised prices after the competition was gone.

will go without rather than buy anything from Walmart or SAMs (moot, as they don't have them here.) actually, I feel that way about any large chain.

roger wiegand
03-15-2016, 8:39 AM
Long time happy costco members, not happy about their switching to a credit card I don't have. One of the main reasons I strongly prefer it over its competitors (and the reason they seem to have fairly consistently happy, helpful employees), is that they treat their people well, both with regard to salaries (close to 2x Walmart on average) and benefits. Night and day vs Walmart/Sams. Not only that, they are a more profitable company than Walmart, giving the lie to the argument that extremely low wages and lousy benefits are a business necessity in retail.

Montgomery Scott
03-15-2016, 9:45 AM
We do not have Costco in my area. We have Sam's Club. My understanding is that they are about the same. Do you have to be a member to shop there like you do at Sam's?

Sam's club is the ghetto version of costco. everything in it is a lower quality version of what costco sells.

you can get great deals on cars through costco, insurance, business products and services. it treats it employees far better and even pays pharmacy interns $40/hr.

Larry Browning
03-15-2016, 9:59 AM
Wow! I had no idea this was such a sensitive subject. Lots of Costco and Sam's Club lovers and haters. Makes me sort of glad we only have 1 choice in my neck of the woods.

Jim Becker
03-15-2016, 10:28 AM
Despite the fact we are poor, I have never, and never will set foot in a Walmart, due to how they treat both their employees and their suppliers. I have a friend who worked for two nurseries that were both put under by Walmart reneging on a contract. Their attitude was "go ahead sue us" as they knew they had more money to wait out a lawsuit.
As noted, I feel the same. What I didn't say previously is that my brother was a victim. Twice.

paul cottingham
03-15-2016, 2:07 PM
That sucks. Sorry (but not surprised) to hear that.

Erik Loza
03-15-2016, 3:12 PM
Despite the fact we are poor, I have never, and never will set foot in a Walmart, due to how they treat both their employees and their suppliers...

At a personal level, I feel the same way but let me float a scenario out there. My wife and I recently sold our rental house that was up in the burbs. As much as I don't care for Walmart, I shopped there a number of times when I was getting the place fixed back up. Why? Because was the only option. Being so far out in the burbs, it was literally the only place around that had all the stuff I needed. Costco (of which we are members) would have meant a 3 hr. round trip through traffic. My mother in law used to own a place in East TX that was very rural. Walmart was the only place in town to get some of the household stuff. Otherwise, a 4-5 hr. round trip.

I hear the sentiment and agree with it but for many folks, what if it's the only option. I feel that many folks who need a job are in the same boat. Your choices as an unskilled worker could be Sonic, Whataburger, or Walmart. So, you go Walmart. Not saying I like it but I see and understand it.

Erik

Jim Becker
03-15-2016, 4:22 PM
Erik, you're correct that in some areas, Wally-world is "the only game in town" and folks gotta do what they gotta do since so many more locally owned resources no longer exist. (because of the big box stores)

Of course, the comparison here is more around Costco vs Sam's Club. Wally-world came up purely because they happen to own Sam's Club...and that's something that matters to some of us.

Erik Loza
03-15-2016, 4:49 PM
Oh, Jim, I did not realize that.

We're big fans of Costco. Never felt the need to go to Sam's. All these Feit LED bulbs in the house, that I like so much, all from Costco.

Erik

Larry Frank
03-15-2016, 7:12 PM
I shop at Samsclub and am happy with it. We always go with a list and attempt to follow it. The produce at mine is very good and the produce manager a nice guy. I asked one time why there was not lettuce and he told me had rejected it due to low quality. The meat is also good quality. I save money over other grocery stores.

Chris Padilla
03-15-2016, 7:17 PM
Long time happy costco members, not happy about their switching to a credit card I don't have.Roger, if you just do nothing, the VISA company that bought out Costco's AMEX customers will simply send you a new card and supposedly everything is the same on it including all rebates and such; everything transfers over. VISA is accepted at more places than AMEX so I don't think it is a big deal. I'm sure there will be SOME differences but that is a subjective call. I do like AMEX's (if you turn it on) rental car insurance. Supposedly you could drive the car off a cliff and you won't pay a single penny...even outside the US including Mexico. I liked that protection driving around Mexico a few years ago on vacation with my family.

Oh, we are big fans of Costco and do 95% of our grocery shopping there. My wife always picks up 1-2 roasted chickens ($5 each) every weekend. I'm surprised we aren't laying eggs and growing feathers but they are quite tasty birds--hard to get tired of them.

Doug Garson
03-15-2016, 8:01 PM
Costco Canada switched to Capital One MasterCard last fall. They had tables set up at the stores where we signed up for the new cards. Rebates pretty much unchanged. Funny thing is since the switch my wife has received 2 or 3 calls from Amex they apparently noticed we weren't using them anymore.

Mike Ontko
03-16-2016, 5:57 PM
I bought my last 3 sets of tires at Costco, and fill up my gas tank there whenever I can. I like that they fill and will recheck and refill the tires with nitrogen, which seems to keep the tires inflated longer.

I found that I can successfully make it in and out of there spending less than $100 by not using a cart--you can only fit so many 24-packs of cake muffins in your arms at one time.

Garth Almgren
03-16-2016, 6:05 PM
I found that I can successfully make it in and out of there spending less than $100 by not using a cart--you can only fit so many 24-packs of cake muffins in your arms at one time.
That's a good tip. I hate going in for just one or two items, but having a cart almost guarantees a $100 minimum. :)

Mike Ontko
03-16-2016, 6:35 PM
...having a cart almost guarantees a $100 minimum. :)

Those carts come with a $125 minimum usage charge ;) That place is the worst temptation for impulse buying.

Brian Elfert
03-16-2016, 9:40 PM
I have used both Costco and Sam's Club in the past. I use Sam's Club now because they have what I need for my concessions business. They are both a long ways away at my new house so I get less from my membership now as I don't go very often. I wish I had a better alternative to avoid the 45 minute round trip, but nobody else carries the stuff.

Rich Enders
03-23-2016, 5:59 PM
We are visiting LaQuinta, CA and last week the service desk at the local Costco told me they have delayed the AMEX acceptance decision until this summer.

Ken Fitzgerald
03-23-2016, 7:25 PM
I asked in our local Costco last week and the guy I talked to said probably July was the last he heard.

Jim Becker
03-23-2016, 8:37 PM
I do know that there are a lot of customers (like me) who are very unhappy about the decision to stop accepting AMEX... ;) ...and many of us have, um...expressed ourselves...to the company accordingly.

Rich Enders
03-28-2016, 8:40 PM
The official end to AMEX at Costco is June 19. After that Costco will only accept Visa (any Visa), cash, checks, debit/ATM cards, EBT, and Costco Cash Cards. New CitiBank Visa cards will automatically be sent to all current Costco AMEX cardholders in late May, or early June. Any accumulated cash back rewards will automatically be applied to the new Citibank Visa. New rewards will also be applied to the Citibank Visa starting June 20..................... I do not know if our old Costco AMEX will be able to be used as an ordinary AMEX card at other vendors, or whether AMEX will issue new cards, or whether they will just drop us.