Costco and alcohol pricing

[danaeris]

So far, Albertsons, and BevMo have by far the best prices. Safeway didn't have a better price on anything.

Anyway, Costco members out there... how worthwhile do you find the membership to be? Do you really feel that it pays for itself?

Comments

[dicedork.livejournal.com]

You can get the cheap membership for like sixty bucks. If you go consistantly over the course of the year that it covers, hell yes it's worth it. It pays for itself many times over. I do my grocery shopping there, padding the perishables (like milk) with a grocery store run between trips.

For two people we spend perhaps $300 on food a month.

[rightsock.livejournal.com]

Note that you will typically end up paying the same or a little less than elsewhere, but the quality is much higher. costco doesn't carry low quality items, only medium to high quality at low to medium prices.

some things are definitely cheaper. non-frozen chicken breasts at the market are like $5/lb. frozen at market are like $4/lb. costco frozen is like $3/lb. but you have to buy 5-10lbs worth at a time.

[cos]

Are you aware of the current brouhaha in the business world involving Costco? If it turns out that using Costco or some other place is about the same, I think it's a good time to support Costco.

[kijeren.livejournal.com]

what brouhaha?

links? reference? something? *grin*

~G

[cos]

The basic summary is, Costco pays much higher than average wages for retail businesses, and has better health benefits. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted the contrast between Costco and Wal-Mart, because investors have started harping on Costco for "wasting" money on employees, money that they feel should go to shareholders. Costco counters that it's better in the long term to have happier employees - they have higher productivity and much less turnover. But Costco's stock price is lower, proportionally, than other retailers, because investors don't buy this argument - IOW, Costco's managers are being financially punished for being too generous to employees, but they seem to believe in their strategy despite that.

The original Wall Street Journal piece requires subscription. Here are a few other articles that refer to it, and also to Wal-Mart's recent Inglewood defeat:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/8456809.htm
http://www.guerrillanews.com/corporate_crime/doc4300.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0412-08.htm

[kijeren.livejournal.com]

Thanks!!

I'm more glad than ever that I have a costco card, and don't shop at Wally World.

[kshandra]

When I was still driving my own vehicle, what I saved on gas by refueling at Costco (they have pumps in SSF, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and one or two of the stores in the East Bay) easily paid for my membership.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

I find it worth it, if only for the bulk shopping. With planning, I can eat for the better part of a month on one trip.

Questions to make a decision by

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

I've been shopping at Costco for several months now. For me it does pay for itself. However, there are a couple questions you should ask yourself before you shop there.

1. Does Costco sell what you buy?
2. Do you have space to store stuff bought in bulk.
3. Will you be able to shop there regularly?

(1) The best way to answer the first question is to try to find a friend who has a membership, go shopping with there once. (I believe they will also let you in to look around, but you will need a membership to buy anything.) While Costco has a large selection they don't carry everything the way that say Safeway does. So if you are very picky about your brands you might have issues.

(2) The second question is also very important. Costco tends to sell large sizes. Before I got my membership I bought a deep freeze and an extra set of shelves (this is to hold food for 4 people).

(3) You obviously can't save the value of the membership if you don't use it. If you have a roommate you might see if you can get a joint membership (just call your roommate your domestic partner).

[dangerpudding.livejournal.com]

I use my costco membership all the time, but I've never actually paid for it- I'm on my parents account. I find it super handy to have, though.

I'd be happy to take you on a costco run sometime, if you'd like. :)

COSTCO became a high-maintanence relationship

[http://users.livejournal.com/_duncan/]

When I had the income to blow and the time for an occasional trip to Costco, which was about 40 miles away, it worked out OK... for a while.

The clothing offerings were nearly pointless as I just don't look good in one-size items, they offer no changing rooms and a return trip would not have been worthwhile.

The candy offerings are quite good. Kirkland brand chocolate coated pretty much anything. Melts in your car, an excuse to eat it NOW.

I picked up a pair of very good heavy duty automatic battery chargers which, mounted to the boom of a blimp's tether, kept its 24 volt systems, including a switched blower for pressure regulation, running continuously for a few months. Mike Ryder of Bosch Aerospace thanked me for that one.

When the income dropped and the blimp crashed and I was using Costco mainly for their excellent price on blank TDK HiFi VHS cassettes (eight for $10 or so) the membership fee started to matter. Then Wally-world moved in 15 miles closer with a similar selection of blank tapes and Costco raised their membership fee.

On the day I was asked to renew I took my videotape addiction and its related stream of money elsewhere. Sorry, Costco. Ya lost one.

The expired membership card, with my name and a crummy little black and white miniature of my face has functioned several times as a "second form of photo ID". Stupid world.