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I want to live like Costco people

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Re: I want to live like Costco people

#51

Post by Schiendelman »

mrits wrote: post #17
qrush wrote: post #6

I just got (at 38) a Costco membership this year, thanks to my in-laws gifting us a membership. There's another huge discount retailer here in Boston (BJs) that I have gone to for years, but Costco is another 10+ min drive away so I've resisted thus far. I will say... I'm still adjusting. - No aisle signs or labels anywhere. I understand the retail strategy here but the lack of efficiency in MY experience kills me. C…

It's odd to me thinking people consider Costco a grocery store. I realize they have groceries but that certainly isn't what I use it for.

Half the store is food - it's an excellent grocery store.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#53

Post by loloquwowndueo »

This article seemed mildly interesting to perhaps kill 5 minutes. I clicked through only to be slapped by a cookie consent and a newsletter signup pop up, together they entirely obscure the content on mobile. Too much friction, so I decided to just close it, this saved me from wasting 5 minutes of my life reading, which I instead proceeded to use cleaning a toilet. All in all, a good outcome I would say.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#54

Post by bell-cot »

SoftTalker wrote: post #11
Lucent wrote: post #9

Costco's gimmick is relieving you of choice and price shopping. They find the best stuff and don't mark it up. If Consumer is your identity yet you fear executing its labors, let Costco step in and become your denomination of consumerism, complete with tithe, proscribed usury, and communion hot dog.

Also the reason that small specialty shops, and mom-and-pop grocery, fruit, dairy, bakeries and butcher shops are largely gone. They just cannot compete with Costco and Sam's Club/Walmart's buying power.

99% of the reason for the mom-and-pop groceries dying out is that "our" Federal Gov't decided that it would stop bothering to enforce the law - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson%E2%80%93Patman_Act

And note how the modern Democratic Party - the originators of that law back in 1936 - utterly failed to give a crap about the issue.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#55

Post by OkayPhysicist »

SoftTalker wrote: post #32
pruetj wrote: post #21

I have a Costco that is walking distance from my office. If I need to decompress, I walk to Costco for lunch solo, get a hot dog and a slice of pizza, sit down, and watch both the people and what's in their cart. It's so diverse and pretty fascinating.

Hot dog and a slice? That's your calorie needs for the day.

Unless you are particularly sedentary, 1200 calories is pretty low for daily consumption.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#56

Post by nlawalker »

Lucent wrote: post #9

Costco's gimmick is relieving you of choice and price shopping. They find the best stuff and don't mark it up. If Consumer is your identity yet you fear executing its labors, let Costco step in and become your denomination of consumerism, complete with tithe, proscribed usury, and communion hot dog.

Identifying as a rabid consumer is not a requirement of appreciating Costco. The end result of that gimmick is that it feels like they're looking out for their customers and offering them a valuable service as opposed to trying to suck them dry. Buy this blender; don't buy this blender; they don't care, just know that this is probably the one that will best meet your needs, it's the best deal you're going to find on it anywhere, and if you're unhappy with it for any reason they'll take it back.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#57

Post by legitster »

SoftTalker wrote: post #11
Lucent wrote: post #9

Costco's gimmick is relieving you of choice and price shopping. They find the best stuff and don't mark it up. If Consumer is your identity yet you fear executing its labors, let Costco step in and become your denomination of consumerism, complete with tithe, proscribed usury, and communion hot dog.

Also the reason that small specialty shops, and mom-and-pop grocery, fruit, dairy, bakeries and butcher shops are largely gone. They just cannot compete with Costco and Sam's Club/Walmart's buying power.

The idealized small mom-and-pop shops were largely put out of business by WWII and rationing more than anything. Supermarkets and department stores have more or less been the norm in the US since long before Wal-Mart began spreading across the country.

There are still plenty of produce stands, bakeries, and butcher shops in the country. Most of what was driven out of business were small bodega-style corner stores.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#58

Post by chermi »

mrits wrote: post #17
qrush wrote: post #6

I just got (at 38) a Costco membership this year, thanks to my in-laws gifting us a membership. There's another huge discount retailer here in Boston (BJs) that I have gone to for years, but Costco is another 10+ min drive away so I've resisted thus far. I will say... I'm still adjusting. - No aisle signs or labels anywhere. I understand the retail strategy here but the lack of efficiency in MY experience kills me. C…

It's odd to me thinking people consider Costco a grocery store. I realize they have groceries but that certainly isn't what I use it for.

Really? Even meats? Or drinks?

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#59

Post by Sohcahtoa82 »

> The bakery muffins really are smaller now than I remember them being as a kid

Costco bakery muffins are HUGE. If they're smaller now than they used to be, I'd argue maybe that's a good thing.

> They’re always in far-off places

My Costco is only about 1 1/2 miles away. Literally walked there for lunch once.

> the building, an aircraft hangar–size warehouse spectacle operated very much in line with casino design: a place with no outside source of light

Odd, the author mentions living in Portland, and every Costco in the Portland metro area has skylights.

Re: I want to live like Costco people

#60

Post by b450 »

acheron wrote: post #30
b450 wrote: post #19

I've become a Costco person in recent years. At least in my perception, inflation has affected grocery stores unevenly: Whole Foods: eye-bogglingly expensive (and no, I don't think it always was) Wegmans: substantially more expensive than a few years ago, and a noticeable decline in produce quality Trader Joes: incredible value on many prepared foods, but not the best source for staples like rice or paper products. C…

Huh, really? Re: Wegmans. For me they still have the best produce quality by far. Agree their prices have gone up in general though.

It's probably very store specific. If you know the Market Basket in Somerville, MA, it's got a legendary produce section. I've been to locations in NH with crap.

IMO H-Mart is the safest bet in the Boston area for high quality produce (outside of farmers markets, natch)

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