Costco Bargins (merged)

RedOnRed

Sorry if this conflicts with the general view but has anyone else found that the majority of the things at Costco seem to be cheaper elsewhere and at places where you don't have to pay a 30 quid annual membership fee?

I'm after a Nikon Coolpix P2 but it's actually £11 cheaper at Amazon including delivery and the PSP is about the going rate at Costco.

They do seem to have the odd ad hoc item at a good deal but they seem to be offbeat things like battery chargers and electric heaters. Apart from the few initial special offers at Milton Keynes, i'm personally struggling to be blown away by their general pricing.

We've now got the biggest ASDA in Europe in Milton Keynes, along with three Tescos, all of which seem to offer better deals and value.

Do I have to own a corner shop and get the VAT back to really appreciate their value?

biglugs

Some things at Costco can be great bargains - e.g. the toys I posted about earlier. Other things like PC/PS2 games and consumer electronics are rarely fantastic bargains. Wine is often very good, but expensive because they carry good quality stock (e.g. 2000 Chianti Classico at about £8.50 a bottle wasn't a great bargain, but the Barolo at £8.00 a bottle was gorgeous )
Tyres are usually very good, and the pizza is superb. Meat is top quality. Drinks like Capri Suns always cheap - often buy boxes of 40 at a time for kids' packed lunches.
So you have to use the place a lot to get your £30 membership's worth, and shop around to be sure you're getting a good deal before you buy.

mm66

biglugs wrote:

Some things at Costco can be great bargains - e.g. the toys I posted about earlier. Other things like PC/PS2 games and consumer electronics are rarely fantastic bargains. Wine is often very good, but expensive because they carry good quality stock (e.g. 2000 Chianti Classico at about £8.50 a bottle wasn't a great bargain, but the Barolo at £8.00 a bottle was gorgeous )
Tyres are usually very good, and the pizza is superb. Meat is top quality. Drinks like Capri Suns always cheap - often buy boxes of 40 at a time for kids' packed lunches.
So you have to use the place a lot to get your £30 membership's worth, and shop around to be sure you're getting a good deal before you buy.

You are right about the prices not being best all the time, however two things make them great for me:

1- No hassle returns policy
2- Quality of goods

Give you an example Archos AV700 player everywhere is over £380. In Costco it is £299. Even if it was the same price as the market I would buy it at Costco because even after a year if there is a problem you take it in and they refund the money. Dont even have to keep the receipts as they have a record of every purchase you make.

RedOnRed

I just hope they don't start charging unjustifiable membership fees at other bargain places I use like TK Maxx and Amazon etc.

wack_2

ohreally wrote:

For a bit more you can get a Silentnight latex mattress from Costco which some retailers are charging up to £599.

I bought the silentnight cambridge kingsize bed when it was on offer in the passport a couple of months ago, I can honestly say it's the most comfortable bed i've ever had :j

Also as stated above their returns policy is second to none, I bought a kettle, it was about 11 months old when it packed up, I took it back without a receipt, they checked on the computer refunded me in cash, I went and bought another with 12 months warranty again :T try doing that anywhere else :rolleyes:

ohreally

wack wrote:

I bought the silentnight cambridge kingsize bed when it was on offer in the passport a couple of months ago, I can honestly say it's the most comfortable bed i've ever had

Go and get the luxury quilt and pillow set to go with it. Not cheap at around £80 odd but it's well made and will set off your bedroom decor nicely.

HLK

For anyone on Nicotine replacement - the 4g lozenges are pemanently less than £10. There isn't a big range but I think they do patches as well.

indiegirl_2

A xmas present for foodies - there's a mustard set available, comprising of 4 different 'world' mustards - dijon, a curry mustard, balsamic vinegar mustard and a peppered mustard. This comes in a little tray set with a 'mixer' glass jar to make sauces in.

The price? A whopping... £2.99!

Certainly a nice stocking filler for foodies, methinks

Alison_B

wack wrote:

I bought the silentnight cambridge kingsize bed when it was on offer in the passport a couple of months ago, I can honestly say it's the most comfortable bed i've ever had :j

We have just bought 2 Cambridge matresses for our children. More expensive than the ones you might get from Argos but they are fantastic quality and lovely and thick. We are going to replace our matress with one after christmas.

roses

Is it me or do prices vary from store to store?

I got membership a few weeks ago & went to Bristol where I live. I saw a Stanley toolbox with wheels for £8 & a pure double goose down duvet for £35. Then today I went to Chingford (North London) and saw exactly the same for £17 & £80 respectively?!