Is CostCo any good?

themadbird

Hubby just got a costco card through his business - personally I've found better deals in Bookers than I have Costco. Shoes are cheaper in Makro, and food is cheaper in Booker - although some things we've got in Costco can't be beaten for quality and price - prawns for example - CC do a large tub for £9 or something and they are superb quality, that can't be beaten by either Makro or Bookers. Wrapping paper in Costco was a few pounds cheaper than in Bookers, although Bookers greeting cards are better. Dog biscuits in CC were cheaper than in both Bookers or Makro and were of far superior quality. All "swings and roundabouts" with all three really. We did get a couple of lovely kits in CC this week for £7.04 each which was very cool Only thing I don't like with CC is that it get far more packed with people than either M or B's. Tonnes of people are not a great thing with me, but for a few bargains it doesn't matter for an hour of so while you're wandering about.

N_R

I’ve had a Costco membership for a couple of years. I’m not sure if it’s self-defeating but I can’t go into the place without spending money. I am always amazed at some of the savings you can make.
Steamer £30, everywhere else £50.

Last night my wife bought some hair straightening thingies. £23 in Costco. £49.99 in the Argos cat.


I rang around all the usual suspects yesterday for the price of a new Michelin Primcey tyre for my wife’s Golf.
Kwikfit - £95 excluding swapping the spare onto an Alloy.
Local independent garages £80.

CostCo - £64.61. Including putting the spare onto an alloy (£2 of the cost. How can they change and balance it for £2?)

Savvy_Sue

N_R wrote:

I’ve had a Costco membership for a couple of years. I’m not sure if it’s self-defeating but I can’t go into the place without spending money. I am always amazed at some of the savings you can make.
Steamer £30, everywhere else £50.

Last night my wife bought some hair straightening thingies. £23 in Costco. £49.99 in the Argos cat.


I rang around all the usual suspects yesterday for the price of a new Michelin Primcey tyre for my wife’s Golf.
Kwikfit - £95 excluding swapping the spare onto an Alloy.
Local independent garages £80.

CostCo - £64.61. Including putting the spare onto an alloy (£2 of the cost. How can they change and balance it for £2?)

They're obviously relying on you popping into the store while you wait for them to do the work, and get the profit off you then!

Savvy_Sue

Well, yesterday off we headed to Costco on a fact-finding mission. Fortunately not equipped with the paperwork we needed to open a trade account, or I fear we would have spent a small fortune on ourselves!

Apart from a little confusion when we first arrived - we'd been told we could show a business card and have a look around and the girl on the door didn't seem to know anything about that - once we we were directed to the Customer Service Desk we found enthusiasm, service and commitment! Yes of course we could look around, and here, have a pass to get yourselves a drink and snack in our cafe. And is there a site plan? Well not exactly, but what are you interested in? Several things, here's our list. OK, well you've got that there, and we may not have those because it's the wrong season, but clothes are there, and food is there and 'catering goods' are there, oh and there's our fresh food, including Aberdeen Angus beef, and ... and ... and ... Now you promise me to have a real good look round!

So off we set at a brisk pace because my head doesn't last long in shops, finding very good prices! And then we were accosted by a young man VERY keen for us to sample some instant mashed potato, which did actually taste quite like potato, and then by Eddie Large who was promoting his new biography / autobiography and we were sorry we couldn't actually buy it, and whenever we asked anyone anything they seemed genuinely keen to help! And there were various other sampling points as well, always a good thing IMO!

So finally to the cafe, where an excellent coffee and muffin was produced for each of us, and the coffee's only 85p to begin with! The muffins were huge! Or we could have had a slice of pizza or a hot dog or even, I think, a jacket potato.

And then - joy of joys - the cleanest customer toilets I have seen in any shop for a very long time!

Now, they don't do a huge range, but what they do looks excellent. I'm about to let my work know what kind of prices they have, not sure if the works outing there has happened yet or not. DH not sure if he can justify a trade account, but I hope he decides he can! Or failing that, that I get a card via my work, which is also a bit marginal!

Thanks for all your comments - really helpful and I back them all up!

d_shuttleworth

I have been a member of Costco for coming up 4 years I and I would strongly reccomend it, Most of the good points have been made above but one thing that I like is that you can buy products made in the USA which are not usually available in the UK. The quality is supurb and as fo rvalue for money, you just cant touch it anywhere in UK ! I initially got my membership from being refered by a friend but after 1 year converted it to full membership. We travel about 30 miles to our local (derby) Costco about once per mont and still consider we get exerlent value for money when we do.

mrnomoneybags

Awwwwwwwww i want a costco card ....... anybody go the lakeside store can get me a card????

Hunnymonster

Savvy_Sue wrote:

Now, they don't do a huge range, but what they do looks excellent. I'm about to let my work know what kind of prices they have, not sure if the works outing there has happened yet or not. DH not sure if he can justify a trade account, but I hope he decides he can! Or failing that, that I get a card via my work, which is also a bit marginal!

Not sure what you mean by justify a trade account - if it's the pecuniary value, I bet you'd make it back first trip (I know I did - 2 tyres and a TV with a 3 year guarantee - the card always pays for itself many times over in the year for me), Slip him £20 and I'm sure he can justify it then

If you mean backing it up documentationwise - go ask them - and then crack out your copy of Word and some convincing clipart and <bof> Sue's Savvy Services is in existence - you're a sole trader..... dealing in money saving tips

Going for a personal membership is really just as simple - the interpretation of the professions is liberal to say the least - at the end of the day it's your cash they're interested in - not that you're a bogcleaner for the local chinese takeaway (not that I'm suggesting that you are currently, or have ever been, in anyway connected with cleaning toilets or any chinese takeaway)

I expect that they just can't put up eligibility criteria like "do you have a hole in your bum?"

Hunnymonster

Tomlewis007 wrote:

Awwwwwwwww i want a costco card ....... anybody go the lakeside store can get me a card????

Why not just go yourself and apply - worst case is they can say "no" - or are you after one for free ? In which case you're in for a long wait I suspect :cool:

Tharweb

Hunnymonster wrote:

Why not just go yourself and apply - worst case is they can say "no" - or are you after one for free ? In which case you're in for a long wait I suspect :cool:

You can be added on to a friend's membership can't you (providing you have a friend that's a member of course) I'm sure we did this for a friend of ours and split the membership cost between us.

One thing I find about Costco is, if I want something, they tend to stock the top of the range and therefore at a higher cost than I would want to pay, (e.g. digi camera memory cards, they stock 1GB when 256/512 would be more than enough for me).

I haven't renewed my membership for a while as I found I could get most things cheaper locally if I shopped around.

I agree though, you can get cheap designer specs and the warranty on electrical goods can't be beaten.

kazd

I have been a member both here and the US, I think that they were comparable in size, I belonged to one in Maryland and the Watford branch. Problem for us is that we live in Northampton and its a long hike to Watford, I just wish they would open one up closer to us. Sometimes I find that the savings are only pennies and you have to spend a lot to save a little ie, you buy in much larger quantities. I don't know how the poster saved on washing powder because when I priced them up I was only saving about £1.00 but had to buy three boxes to save that £1. thereby forking out £12 when I only needed to spend £4.50 for one at Tesco.

Having said that if there was one closer I would still join, Chicken is cheap, steaks are good but I am not keen on their steak mince.