Costco (Costco)

Member Name: Joe1976

Product:	Costco
Date:	21/06/08 (1519 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Saving money

Disadvantages: An uneccessary joining fee of 25 pounds

----<Joining>----

I've been a member of "Costco" for 10 years, my days in Motorola had afforded me the chance to get a card, see not everyone is entitled to one, you have to work in certain jobs; like motorola, be a civil servant and if you do have an RAC card, you can join. I never agreed with this strict policy, yet that is how it is with this company.

----<Benefits>----

Living in the central belt of Scotland has me slap bang in the centre of both Glasgow and Edinburghs stores, I find both stores are different from each other with respect to what they have to offer on any given day, items like clothing and brands such as Armani, Levi's, Diesel, Dolce and Gabanna, Versace, Timberland, Hugo Boss, Nike, Adidas and Marlboro Classics could see you save anything up to 50-60 pounds on designer jeans and on Timberland boots, though going to the two stores in one day could see you leaving with none of the above, just the way they operate.
Household items like Daz washing up powder and Lenor softener are big sellers, costing about 15 pnds for both items, the Daz and Lenor, wil last you months. I also buy mach 3 razor blades which last me an entire year. The benefits are good, but be prepared to bulk buy, as Costco doesn't sell anything in single items.

----<A Back Door to Joining>----

If you know someone who has a card for Costco, you can ask them to add you as an additional card holder, it does cost around 25 pnds, but I swear you will make this fee up in your first outing. Or if you are already a member of the AA/RAC, have your own business or Driving School, you are entitled to join.

----<Downsides>----

Costco has a huge array of items, from 17, 21, 32, 40 and 50 inch TV's, guitars, iPods and MP3/4 players, Fridge freezers American style, Washing machines, stunning Breitling watches, diamond rings and more gold jewellery than King Midas could shake a stick at, you will tend to want to buy a bit of everything, there is a novelty that, when you get your card, will have you wondering around like a kid in a sweet shop, this does wear thin, then going for essentials becomes more of a chore.

----<Stores>----

There are stores nationwide, here are a list of Costco stores throughout the UK-

Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff - (OPENING SOON)
Chester
Chingford
Derby
Edinburgh
Gateshead
Glasgow
Haydock
Leeds
Liverpool
Manchester
Milton Keynes
Oldham
Reading
Sheffield
Thurrock
Watford
Magna Park (depot)

So where-ever you are, I am sure there is a store not too far from you.

----<Staff>----

Costco is first and foremost a cash and carry, so most cardholders are traders, who have trolleys full of lager, kids sweets and cans of juice, there are over 20 checkouts in the Edinburgh store, meaning whenever you are seen waiting about behind a shopkeeper who has loads of cigarettes and other shelf fillers, you will not be long in being directed to a checkout that is free, the staff are friendly and don't pester you with "can I help you" type chat!

----<Try before you buy>----

I love this bit of Costco, and have been known to go along just to try some of their food stuff that is cooked and served up for you to try, free of charge, the portions are quite small, infact, tiny, but don't be modest, go back for more, that way you won't need dinner.

----<Canteen>----

The cafeteria at Costco offers huge slices of freshly cooked pizza and 2 cups of a selection of soft drinks for around 3 pound, there are also hotdogs over half a foot in length, at 1.75pnd it is a cheap feed after walking up an appetite going round the various, well spaced aisles.

----<Final Thought>----

If you have a family who gets through more clothes than you can wash, drinks more soft drinks than you can afford and want to dress in good designer clothes, then I would suggest Costco to you, larger families of maybe 5, would benefit from shopping here, but do try and not get carried away. All prices shown include VAT, so no need to worry about working out the final cost here.

Summary: Overall it's a good way to buy in bulk