http://images.businessweek.comMy parents gave my wife and I Costco Club memberships for Christmas last year. No doubt, it's been great. Yesterday we got a 3-pack of frozen pizzas, an 80-pack of fruit snacks, and a tub of salsa big enough to wade in--all at a reasonable price.
However, there are some things about Costco that I've found rather interesting...
On our first trip we turned in our gift card for a membership card. The process of applying for a membership card at Costco is similar to getting a drivers license at the DMV. You even have to get your photo taken for the card's picture ID. I tried to look cross-eyed for mine.
I'm also pretty sure they run a background check to make sure you're a white, SUV-driving suburbanite. At least that seems to be who fills the store.
My favorite part about going to Costco is trying to get past the membership card checkers at the entrance without showing them my card. I put on the facade of an angry man ready to snap at the next person that crosses my path, and they haven't stopped me thus far. My wife thinks my little game is stupid, though.
Before we had our Costco card I heard a lot about the free samples. However, I've been rather disappointed. When the samples are being prepared, nobody is in line. Instead they're all hovering close by, acting like they're interested in some nearby product. The only difference between them and the people in line at a soup kitchen, I guess, is the soup kitchen doesn't require a membership.
Once the samples are ready, though, you have to box-out soccer moms and shoulder-check CPAs just to get a chance at a 1-oz cup of granola. I guess knowing your cart full of groceries is going to run you 300 bucks makes you want to milk everything you can out of the free samples.
As a member of this wholesale club, I'm also entitled to bulk goods--right off the pallet. Of course Costco outfits you with a 100-gallon shopping cart that is willing to swallow up whatever you want throw in it; be it a 4-pound bag of Sunsweet prunes or a 96-pack of toilet paper... or both.
At checkout Costco is a mix between your neighborhood lemonade stand a 5-star hotel, in that they only take cash or Amex. They also don't bag your groceries, probably because they don't want to be held responsible for smashing your bread (I used to be a bagger at a grocery store, and I've seen nice old women start foaming at the mouth upon finding their bread smashed).
After checkout comes my second favorite part about Costco: trying to sneak past the Sharpie-toting receipt checkers guarding the exit. Then comes my least favorite: hauling unbagged groceries up the stairs to our 3rd-floor condo.
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1 comment:
We've got a membership to Sam's Club (same thing) and we love it. Even some of the normal sized groceries there are cheaper than most places. Milk, some fruit .... I guess thats it. So most things are for like a family of six minimum. But you don't have to buy toilet paper but maybe twice a year.
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