Forget the Mall and the Supermarket (Costco)

Member Name: KormaCurryNow

Product:	Costco
Date:	15/08/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can offer significant discounts

Disadvantages: There is a joining fee

Forget the shopping mall, go to costco!

I have been a member of costco for about 7 years now, I know a lot of people gripe about the annual fee but really it is worth it. We are very lucky as the store is only about 4 miles away and a stones throw from our tesco so we tend to combine our shopping trips.

If you are wondering what costco is? It is a membership only warehouse containing food, furniture, tools, kitchen stuff, wines, televisions, in fact anything. It refreshes it stock with the seasons, so you can expect ranges of clothing and sporting goods to change depending on the time of year.

We buy all of our meats, chicken, fish, prawns and coffee almost without exception. This is because the quality and quantity is much better that what you will get in supermarket. It is true you will need to buy more of it but if you have access to a freezer, then you can store the excess.

With televisions and computers you automatically get a five year guarantee without any additional cost. I have used this guarantee then when my television started playing up when it was about a year old, I took it back and got a full refund, which I immediately used to buy another.

Another service I have used is the optician. I purchase all my contact lenses and solutions from them and it really saves a fortune. There is no way I would ever consider buying these items from Tesco with their 150%-200% markups for exactly the same product.

The membership can pay for itself easily in one visit, in fact it is almost worth joining just to get new Michelin tyres on your car. There is not any way you can get kwick-fit, National or any other tyre reseller fitter to compete with price, I have tried.

Other good things about costco, is the passport which offers big discounts on certain goods at a specified period and remember to keep an eye on end of line or end of season stock, there can be very big discounts to free up floor space.

Almost forgot, at the end of a busy shopping trip there is always the cafe.

Summary: Great place to browse and spend