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Not Good Enough for Costco

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Long live Costco. Sam's Club has always sucked, and the fact it's owned by Wal-Mart doesn't help. Anyone remember Price Club? They rocked too then they merged with costco.

I had a Price Club card, then a Price-Costco card, then a Costco card. Costco is sorta the offspring of Price Club. The founder of Costco worked at Price Club first and Saul Price was his mentor.
My Boy Scout troop used to shop at the original Price Club before our big road trips. We ate like fucking kings.

Wtf.....I had no idea Costco was a membership-based store. Growing up my parents always bought stuff there and I just assumed it was a regular store. I guess I now know why they stopped shopping there some time when I was a teenager. My mind is blown now lol.

It's always been membership. Price Club was also always membership. Price's chain before Price Club was also membership.
 
Costco killed Sam's Club in Canada. Sam's club was horrible.

There's a Sam's Club right next to the Costco in Torrance, CA. How it's survived all these years is a mystery.
 
If not already mentioned your Costco membership can be used worldwide.

My mom works for Costco, yes it's as awesome as the stories you hear. Pay is one thing, but the benefits are really great.
 
I like IKEA more than Costco but it's not bad.

Shame the closest IKEA is a few hours drive away, not to mention shopping + the trip back. So Costco it is.
 
I just discovered ahi poke this summer at my Costco. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, my foodie life dramatically improved.
 
Yeah we get our tires at Costco. Very convenient. I'll go shopping while they put the new tires on.

I'm curious-does parking suck at every Costco or just the ones I've been to? The one in Danville, CA is the pits.

Danville is fine if you're not going on weekend, I can usually find parking there easily. My main store is Livermore, but even their lot sucks hard (you have a good portion of the lot missing due to the gas station). Santa Cruz's was okay, but I avoided it like the plague on weekends as well (notice the trend?).

Worst Costco I've been too when trying to park was in LA as it shared a parking lot with an In-N-Out and a small strip mall - made Danville's shared lot with Marshall's absolutely civil.
 
We have a Costco here in Adelaide, Australia, but it just seems like stuff is a bit cheaper however it's not like I go there to bulk up as it does just feel like a bit bigger supermarket. Is it different in America for those who've experienced both our can I get a video of what a true Costco experience is?

I'm always tempted to visit the one north of Brisbane, but I see Costco in Australia the same way I see it in the UK: normal supermarkets provide 90% of your needs at good-enough prices. Where I live, Coles or Woolies is good for the essentials, and there's local farmers markets and stuff for cheap fruit, veg and meat. In the UK then Tesco and Asda cover you.

Whereas in Taiwan, unless you want to pay US$15/AU$20 for a kilo of beef mince, you need to go to Costco.

I haven't gone to the nearest Costco here in Seoul since I bought a car... To be honest, though, I'm timid to drive too far from home since I know very little Hangul. Maybe once I get an English GPS. I loved both Costcos in San Antonio, though.

Is that company/website that buys and delivers items from Costco still running? I remember some of my friends using that when I lived in Ansan.

Failing that, just take a cab.
 
Costco Canada's prices aren't that great but they finally brought the $1.50 pop/hot dog thing up here after that not being the case.

Their poutine use to be like $4 and so goddamn good several years ago but they changed the gravy for the worse.

Still I can not eat for a whole day then pay like $8 and be good for another day. And I can do all of that with an expired membership card because they don't check that when you're buying food ;)
 
It's not a "fucking supermarket", it's a membership required store.

Pro tip for alcoholics: many states still have anti-speakeasy laws that makes it illegal to lock alcohol sales behind a paid membership so Costco is forced to allow you to buy alcohol without needing a membership. Cali is one of them. And a lot of Kirkland brand alcohols are fantastic for the price.

How would you do this if you're not a member? Tell the person at the door you're here specifically for alcohol?
 
Costco Canada's prices aren't that great but they finally brought the $1.50 pop/hot dog thing up here after that not being the case.

Their poutine use to be like $4 and so goddamn good several years ago but they changed the gravy for the worse.

Still I can not eat for a whole day then pay like $8 and be good for another day. And I can do all of that with an expired membership card because they don't check that when you're buying food ;)

They let everyone buy food at the food court, even non-members. ;)
 
I like IKEA more than Costco but it's not bad.

Shame the closest IKEA is a few hours drive away, not to mention shopping + the trip back. So Costco it is.

IKEA and Costco are completely different though?
 
I thought the ones with the inside food courts only let members into that area?

As long as you enter with someone with a membership card they don't really care. Whenever I go there with my parents as soon as I enter with them I wonder around by myself before getting a couple slices of pizza and a berry smoothie while waiting for them to check out.
 
I'm always tempted to visit the one north of Brisbane, but I see Costco in Australia the same way I see it in the UK: normal supermarkets provide 90% of your needs at good-enough prices. Where I live, Coles or Woolies is good for the essentials, and there's local farmers markets and stuff for cheap fruit, veg and meat. In the UK then Tesco and Asda cover you.

Whereas in Taiwan, unless you want to pay US$15/AU$20 for a kilo of beef mince, you need to go to Costco.



Is that company/website that buys and delivers items from Costco still running? I remember some of my friends using that when I lived in Ansan.

Failing that, just take a cab.
Cool, so it's not just me. I go to the markets for fruit and veg and the local butcher for meat.

We got a membership a while ago for Costco to buy chemicals and toilet paper etc in bulk but really it just meant buying large Milo and large peanut butter while we were there and then just consuming more shit.

Sounds like the American Costco is a thing of beauty though.
 
How would you do this if you're not a member? Tell the person at the door you're here specifically for alcohol?

Yeah pretty much. I still have an expired membership card though so that's how I just waltz in. They just look to see if you have a card. Then once I'm at the register, you let the clerk know you're not a member and just buying alcohol and he will get a key from one of the floor managers to basically bypass the register lockout for membership card swipe.
 
As long as you enter with someone with a membership card they don't really care. Whenever I go there with my parents as soon as I enter with them I wonder around by myself before getting a couple slices of pizza and a berry smoothie while waiting for them to check out.

That makes sense. I'm talking about if you just walk in there by yourself without a membership and say I just want to grab a slice and a hot dog, will they let you?
 
I love costco. My family probably goes there at least once a week.
They seem to put a lot of research into selecting their products. Usually everything I get there is pretty quality.
Only issue is, since most of their stuff comes in large quantities, there can be issues when it comes to foods that can go bad. Hard to consume it all before it goes bad.
 
That makes sense. I'm talking about if you just walk in there by yourself without a membership and say I just want to grab a slice and a hot dog, will they let you?
The stores in my area have it set up where the food court is in the big exit section, after shoppers have already gone through the registers. So they don't care what you do in that section. It's also where to enter to pick up at the pharmacy when not shopping for anything from general stock. (Use the exit door and reverse flow the traffic).
 
I'm always tempted to visit the one north of Brisbane, but I see Costco in Australia the same way I see it in the UK: normal supermarkets provide 90% of your needs at good-enough prices. Where I live, Coles or Woolies is good for the essentials, and there's local farmers markets and stuff for cheap fruit, veg and meat. In the UK then Tesco and Asda cover you.

Whereas in Taiwan, unless you want to pay US$15/AU$20 for a kilo of beef mince, you need to go to Costco.



Is that company/website that buys and delivers items from Costco still running? I remember some of my friends using that when I lived in Ansan.

Failing that, just take a cab.

I've never heard of this. Do you have any info?

Edit: Maybe not, sounds like a fishy scheme to circumvent the membership requirements and make a profit on the side.
 
I've never heard of this. Do you have any info?

Edit: Maybe not, sounds like a fishy scheme to circumvent the membership requirements and make a profit on the side.

I think it was called Easy Shop Korea or something. I never used it.
 
We have a Costco here in Adelaide, Australia, but it just seems like stuff is a bit cheaper however it's not like I go there to bulk up as it does just feel like a bit bigger supermarket. Is it different in America for those who've experienced both our can I get a video of what a true Costco experience is?

It's the same. I actually use my US membership here in AUS. The trick is to go on the week nights to not deal with the huge crowds. I spend about $600 a shop and lasts me over a month. Probably 6 weeks. Buy everything in bulk and never think about shopping. It's considerably cheaper, unless Coles or wollies has a good sale on. Some veggies you need to watch out on though. Capsicum isn't worth it at Costco.
 
Whereas in Taiwan, unless you want to pay US$15/AU$20 for a kilo of beef mince, you need to go to Costco.
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Very true. They are the only place to get good lamb in the country as well.

EDIT: Well unless you are scouring Wellcomes for buy-this-day meat, which is when i swoop in and buy dollar steaks and cook them all that day.
 
Gonna have to visit one, what with the way you guys are evangelizing it. Just found out there's one in the UK near where I live!
 
Wish Costco sold gas here in the UK. I miss dem prices back in the states. ;__;

Also, the Costcos in Hawaii sell poke. Whenever I go to Kauai on vacation, I buy that shit in bulk.

costco_hi_poke27.jpg


We have a Costco here in Adelaide, Australia, but it just seems like stuff is a bit cheaper however it's not like I go there to bulk up as it does just feel like a bit bigger supermarket. Is it different in America for those who've experienced both our can I get a video of what a true Costco experience is?

It's the same in the UK and the US. The moment you walk in any of the Costcos, the setup is pretty much exactly the same inside (with the occasional flipped layout or food court being outside). I use my US membership over here with no hassle.
 
Very true. They are the only place to get good lamb in the country as well.

The only times I remember eating lamb in Taiwan was when I went to all-you-can-eat places. It's too expensive on its own.

Well unless you are scouring Wellcomes for buy-this-day meat, which is when i swoop in and buy dollar steaks and cook them all that day.

I did this when I lived near Houshanpi Station. Between the Wellcome and the PX Mart you could sometimes pick up a bargain.
 
There is a nice documentary about Costco on Netflix (probably free on youtube as well). I found it informative and I didn't realize what goes on behind the scenes. Owner seems like a good guy.
 
Costco also treats their employees incredibly well too I've heard. Paying them like $18+ an hour and stuff.
Not exactly. I got fired from Costco and yes they do treat you well with a catch. The catch being you only really get a decent wage and benefits if you stick with them long term. I was on probation but starting salary was 11.50/hr and OT pay for every hourly employee on Sundays. You don't get benefits until 6 months in. To move up in pay requires working x amt of hrs. Like I would have gotten an automatic .25 cent raise after 800 hrs. And I believe it takes approx 7 yes of full time hrs to top out at $23.xx an hr. I don't rememeber the exact amt.

Not that salty since I didn't want to be there long term but Costcos just another entry level job. With the big thing being it pays off if you choose to stay. That and my paycheck meant nothing since I live in California. Would be working in poverty even if I stayed on and got full time. I budget and don't drop $$ on much besides food and gas too.
 
Wish Costco sold gas here in the UK. I miss dem prices back in the states. ;__;

Also, the Costcos in Hawaii sell poke. Whenever I go to Kauai on vacation, I buy that shit in bulk.

costco_hi_poke27.jpg

They sell poke in California, too. Like alot of Costco stuff, they come and go throughout the year.
 
Must be a NorCal thing then.


No it's not. I work for Costco in Southern California and we sell poke now in our service deli. It's only sold Friday-Sunday because we order it fresh and don't keep it long. All Costcos should be carrying Poke now.

Also yes, you do not have to be a member to purchase something at food court and purchasing alcohol. At my Costco, we usually let people check out the store even if you're not a member.


I have been working for them for 8 plus years now, Meat Department Manager now, and I will say the pay and benefits are excellent.
 
No it's not. I work for Costco in Southern California and we sell poke now in our service deli. It's only sold Friday-Sunday because we order it fresh and don't keep it long. All Costcos should be carrying Poke now.

Sweet! Guess I know what I'm doing when I come back to LA to visit.
 
No it's not. I work for Costco in Southern California and we sell poke now in our service deli. It's only sold Friday-Sunday because we order it fresh and don't keep it long. All Costcos should be carrying Poke now.

Also yes, you do not have to be a member to purchase something at food court and purchasing alcohol. At my Costco, we usually let people check out the store even if you're not a member.


I have been working for them for 8 plus years now, Meat Department Manager now, and I will say the pay and benefits are excellent.

Good to know.

In general I've found Costco inventory can vary between individual stores. I bought some bowls from a store a town over that weren't carried in my local store.
 
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