OT- Costco?

aukerns08

We call Costco the $200 club, we never seem to get out of there for under $200 but it seems like you get a lot for you money and we never feel ripped off about it.  I will say as a former and now as a regular shopper, Costco is a much more enjoyable experience during the week rather than on the weekend.  You can hardly walk through the store on the weekend and people get crazy over the free sample or just stop obliviously right in front of you with no warning.  If you have to do the weekend be there as close as you can to when they open the door in the morning.

GreenWave36

In general buy as much of the Kirkland Signature product as you can.  KS products have the same if not higher specs than the equivalent national brands.  In batteries for instance, the KS batteries are the exact same as Duracell, they just go through a different lithograph machine at the end.  

A couple tips for the checkout lines... The clerks at the registers at both ends are the fastest ones they have, the slower ones are in the middle lanes.  So all else equal, stay toward the checkout lanes at both ends.  

Also, it is a better idea to get in line behind a couple of people with extremely full shopping carts than a line of more people who have emptier carts.  

Bentgrass

Costco makes my Amex card melt every time I go.

stlcharcoal

aukerns08 said:

We call Costco the $200 club, we never seem to get out of there for under $200 but it seems like you get a lot for you money and we never feel ripped off about it.  

LOL.....me too.  I make a game of it, trying to get out of as close as I can to $200 without going over.  Always ends up like $210-220 because of some impulse buy--and that is where they make a lot of their money according to the CNBC documentary about them. 

Pinkfacemark

RiverDoc said:

I have always gone to SAMs club, I'm almost equal distance to a SAMs club and a Costco. I've heard lots of people here talk about Costco so tomorrow I'm heading to Costco for the first time. Is there anything that I really should check out? Anything to avoid? What do you like at Costco ?

Booze is much better at Costco.

blind99

Kirkland batteries.  LED lightbulbs if there are rebates from the power company.  Steaks - the prime are great, and often I'll find a package or two of choice that looks like prime.  Other staples like paper towels, dish soap, olive oil are a good deal.

volfan1

I love Costco as well. Excellent wine selection (and the Kirkland wines are very good), prime meet, organic whole chickens, ribs that have the membrane removed, and Kirkland Anejo Tequila!

buzd504

Bentgrass said:

Costco makes my Amex card melt every time I go.

Just FYI, I believe they are switching to Visa/Discover sometime in the next 6 months or so.

Plutonium

blind99 said:

Kirkland batteries.  LED lightbulbs if there are rebates from the power company.  Steaks - the prime are great, and often I'll find a package or two of choice that looks like prime.  Other staples like paper towels, dish soap, olive oil are a good deal.

I haven't tried the prime filets yet. For some reason at mine the choice ones always look better.

TexanOfTheNorth

buzd504 said:

Bentgrass said:

Costco makes my Amex card melt every time I go.

Just FYI, I believe they are switching to Visa/Discover sometime in the next 6 months or so.

Here in Canada (Ontario at least) they have already switched to MasterCard.

GregW

Costco is more upscale if you can say that about a warehouse store.

Ladeback69

stlcharcoal said:

Yes, the Kirkland Signature products are great......so are all the other organic products.  I buy my balsamic vinegar, Muir Glen canned tomatoes, avocado oil, kid's juice boxes, kid's organic cheese sticks, low sugar jams, etc.

Sam's has big boxes of the same crap they sell at WalMart.  Costco has the better stuff you see at the nicer grocery stores.  The seafood at Costco is really good.  During Lent they have this frozen beer battered Halibut--fantastic.  They used to have veal hot dogs--those were really good, but I guess no one else bought them.  Their Kirkland frozen cheese pizzas are great for the BGE--top them yourself with everything under the sun.  The Amon's NY pizza  slices are really good too.  Best thing about Costco in the summer is the refrigerated room......not as good as Restaurant Depot, but still nice way to cool off.  BTW, Costco's Kirkland alkaline batteries are always rated near the top of Consumer Reports, and they're a fraction of the cost--like $17 for 48 AA's?

The only place I like to shop at more than Costco is IKEA (opens 9/30/15 in STL!!!)  Restaurant Depot is one of my most hated places to go, but I have to sometimes to get certain things.  I have a feeling the issues are localized to our particular store.

Costco isn't close to us, but Sam's is so that's where we go for now.   @stlcharcoal, what dnot you like about Restaurant Depot?   I like that place, seems a great place to go to if you are competing in BBQ and catering.

 Our IKEA has been open for about a year and have never been there,  but been by it a lot.  I hear that you have to go through the whole store to get out.  I've been on there website, nothing there I need. 

EggNorth

We have two Costcos - 10 minutes drive each direction, and they are building a third about 20 minutes away... lots of choices, each one is a little different.

Like the book prices and get my Maple Leaf Charcoal there 17lbs bag for $12 and change (that's about $9 US!).  They stop selling in the fall so I stock up!

The only meat I do not buy are the ribs, they always put a great cut on top and the ones that you cannot see are terrible.

EggNorth

Pinkfacemark said:

RiverDoc said:

I have always gone to SAMs club, I'm almost equal distance to a SAMs club and a Costco. I've heard lots of people here talk about Costco so tomorrow I'm heading to Costco for the first time. Is there anything that I really should check out? Anything to avoid? What do you like at Costco ?

Booze is much better at Costco.

We are not allowed to buy booze at Costco in Canada (Ontario anyway)

caliking

Try the Kirkland single malt if your store stocks it.  It's one of the well known distillers relabeled for Costco. Same product. 

The  garofalo brand bufala mozzarella. Love that stuff. 

stlcharcoal

Ladeback69 said:

 

Costco isn't close to us, but Sam's is so that's where we go for now.   @stlcharcoal, what dnot you like about Restaurant Depot?   I like that place, seems a great place to go to if you are competing in BBQ and catering.

 Our IKEA has been open for about a year and have never been there,  but been by it a lot.  I hear that you have to go through the whole store to get out.  I've been on there website, nothing there I need. 

Like I said, I think it's just our Restaurant Depot.  I like the store and selection, but ours is horrible in every other aspect.  It's in a crappy part of town.  The store is always trashed, pallets sitting everywhere, so it's hard to navigate--the guys on the forklifts do not yield for customers either.  Then the lines are always 3-4 deep, which with the quantities, you can imagine how long it takes to get out of there.  The deep freeze of cold packets is always empty and their are U-boats scattered all over the parking lot.  Seriously, ours is an absolute cluster ****, mostly a result of the employees not caring and the customers adopting that attitude and reciprocating. 

Cm23

Just opened a Costco in my area and I have already cancelled my SAMs club and would never look back.  Also already upgraded my membership in the third month.

RiverDoc

So made it down there. In my opinion it was way nicer and cleaner then the SAMs in Asheville. It wasn't to crowded and the lines moved very quickly. As for the sample tables.... They are like crack dealers, I tried chicken cilantro won-tons (which I bought), crab  and lobster dip (which I forgot), and a whole bunch of other stuff. But hands down favorite was toasted coconut cashews with vanilla- any cashew fans this is awesome. The meat selection was great grabbed some beautiful strips and shrimp which I'll post this weekend. I was a little unprepared next time I shall travel with the big yeti I ran out of room in the small cooler. Thanks for all the great ideas!

specialguest

If I remember this right, Costco is the biggest volume wine seller in North America. They are guiding the entire industry in NA...  Costco is a fantastic place for wine.

Sams has much better pizza in the deli...

other than that, 6 of one half dozen the other IMHO. done both recently.

RiverDoc

@specialguest we also like SAMs pizza. I buy my pizza dough from them it's great . I found some portobello mushrooms with roasted red peppers today (another crack-dealer sample) that is going to go great on my pizzas 

blasting

+1 on the spice isle.  Love that Montreal chicken spice on a spatch chicken.

Tip - the hot dogs are decent quality and huge, but ask them to wrap the bun and dog separate and stick it on the grill at home so it isn't just a boiled wiener with a bun sticking to it.

Legume

blasting said:

+1 on the spice isle.  Love that Montreal chicken spice on a spatch chicken.

Tip - the hot dogs are decent quality and huge, but ask them to wrap the bun and dog separate and stick it on the grill at home so it isn't just a boiled wiener with a bun sticking to it.

Polish sausage same price as the dog, much better.

caliking

They used to serve Vienna beef dogs at Costco back in the day.  Man those were good. 

blasting

@Legume  the polish are good alright - I go back and forth.

Sams club used to have a chicago dog that was terrific.  I miss those dogs...

specialguest

Legume said:

blasting said:

+1 on the spice isle.  Love that Montreal chicken spice on a spatch chicken.

Tip - the hot dogs are decent quality and huge, but ask them to wrap the bun and dog separate and stick it on the grill at home so it isn't just a boiled wiener with a bun sticking to it.

Polish sausage same price as the dog, much better.

and sell packs of both outside of the deli for taking home to cook, although in a slightly smaller size.

BYS1981

Also it is a state law in California that a costco has to sell booze to everyone. You can walk in and say I'm nuying alcohol only and get a special card.

DMW

BYS1981 said:

Also it is a state law in California that a costco has to sell booze to everyone. You can walk in and say I'm nuying alcohol only and get a special card.

No booze in our Costcos, thank you PA state laws for your backward ways...

bgebrent

Thankfully in the great State of Ga where we'll still fly the memorial confederate flag  at our memorials, we also sell booze at Costco!  Understand the issue, won't deny the fallen. Not about racism, everyone knows that's wrong!  And yes, I'm a former Northerner.

GregW

DMW said:

BYS1981 said:

Also it is a state law in California that a costco has to sell booze to everyone. You can walk in and say I'm nuying alcohol only and get a special card.

No booze in our Costcos, thank you PA state laws for your backward ways...

No booze at Costco in Alabama. The state has alcohol locked down as a service to our citizens. They regulate the price and keep it high enough to discourage it's consumption. They call it a sin tax.
Costco could carry booze, but they have to buy it for resale from the state at the same price the state ABC stores sell it to the public for (No wholesale pricing). They would then have to resell it at a higher price. Not many people would be willing to pay more than buying it directly from the state.
The state of Alabama is operating a legal monopoly.
I think alcohol is more expensive here than any other state I've seen. 

nolaegghead

GregW said:

DMW said:

BYS1981 said:

Also it is a state law in California that a costco has to sell booze to everyone. You can walk in and say I'm nuying alcohol only and get a special card.

No booze in our Costcos, thank you PA state laws for your backward ways...

No booze at Costco in Alabama. The state has alcohol locked down as a service to our citizens. They regulate the price and keep it high enough to discourage it's consumption. They call it a sin tax.
Costco could carry booze, but they have to buy it for resale from the state at the same price the state ABC stores sell it to the public for (No wholesale pricing). They would then have to resell it at a higher price. Not many people would be willing to pay more than buying it directly from the state.
The state of Alabama is operating a legal monopoly.
I think alcohol is more expensive here than any other state I've seen. 

...and the irony is their paradigm of "regulations IS bad" and "freedom".