Big savings on quality products and the best croissants this side of the Channel! (Costco)

Member Name: Nuthatch76

Product:	Costco
Date:	17/08/08 (748 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great savings on quality items. Fantastic in-store bakery! 3 year guarantee on electrical goods

Disadvantages: Not everyone has the space to bulk buy. Will not suit everyone. Bakery vs my waistline!

I have been a Costco member for just over a year now and have easily saved enough to cover my membership fee several times over. I always pay close attention to the prices and have worked out which items are good value. My advice to anyone shopping at Costco would be to make sure you compare prices with the same or similar items from your usual supermarket. For example, purchasing a multi pack of John West tuna is not necessarily going to work out as cheap (per tin) as Tesco Value tuna. If you like quality products, particularly food items, then you are likely to save money by buying in bulk. Another tip is to find someone to share large bulk items (such as toilet rolls).

How do I join?
You can either join as a trader (£20 annual membership fee) or as join as an individual member (£25). For individual membership you need to fulfill one of the following criteria :

Current or retired employees of the local government, medical or health services, civil servants, banking/finance, education, fire/rescue, police or post office. You may also join as an individual member if you are a dentist, pharmacist, optician, solicitor/barrister/magistrate or advocate, chartered accountant or engineer.

You will need to take two forms of identification (e.g utility bills) and proof of your employment (payslip or staff ID card). I didn't need to take a photo along for my membership card, as they took one in the store.

As an individual member, you can also nominate someone for a second card (e.g. spouse, relatve, friend). For example, I got a second card for my Mum and we split the membership fee between us. You can also take guests into the store on your card. You will have to purchase any items your guest may want.


Locations and Opening Times
Costco has stores in the following locations:
Aberdeen,Birmingham,Bristol,Cardiff,Chester, Chingford, Derby,Edinburgh,Gateshead,Glasgow,Haydock,Leeds,Li verpool,Manchester,
Milton Keynes, Oldham, Reading, Sheffield, Thurrock, Watford


Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday
Trade Members 10:00am - 8:30pm
Individual Members 12:00pm - 8:30pm
Saturdays
9:30am -6:00pm
Sundays
11:00am - 5:00pm
(Bank Holidays 10:00am - 6:00pm)

What can I buy?
Everything but the kitchen sink! They sell a huge range of food (fresh, frozen, dried goods, tinned etc), beers, wines, spirits, soft drinks and catering supplies. The in-store bakery is fantastic - the croissants and cakes are amazing! They also stock a good range of general groceries, such as washing powder, cleaning products and toilet rolls. You can also buys clothes, shoes, bedlinen and health and beauty products. They also sell small and large electrical appliances, furniture, office supplies, sports and garden equipment, toys and books. My local store also has a photo centre and tyre centre. The list is endless!

Is it really cheaper than shopping at the supermarket?
The answer is that it depends on what you buy. You need to think carefully about what you usually buy and make a comparison based on the price you would pay per item or per 100g etc. Bulk buying will not suit everyone but if you have a large family and / or lots of storage space you are likely to make some big savings. For example, I bake all my own bread, batch cook meals and have a lot of freezer space. I save money by buying a huge sack of good quality flour and portion up and freeze cheese, meat and bread products. To give you an idea, here are some price comparisons (look at the difference in price per weight)

Kirkland Starbucks Espresso Beans (907g) = £6.45 (71p/100g)
Starbucks Espresso Beans (250g) = £3.79 (£1.52 /100g)

Large Banham Free Range Chicken (2.5kg) = £6.30 (2.52/kg)
Tesco Free Range Whole Chicken (2kg) = £7.96 (£3.98/kg)

Parmesan Reggiano (500g) = 5.54 (£11.08/kg)
Tesco Finest Reggiano Parmigiano Parmesan Portion = £3.43 (£17.49/kg)

What is it like in the store?
A massive warehouse with huge isles and plenty of room to wheel your enormous trolley around. The size can seem a bit daunting at first, but you will soon find your way around. Keep you eye out for demo stands - this is a chance to try food and drink before you buy! Oh, and after you have finished your shopping you can get a drink and something to eat in the cafe which is ridiculously cheap!

Overall
You can make substantial savings on food if you usually buy branded or good quality produce rather than value products (and have the space to bulk buy) I think the same applies to cleaning products, washing detergents and toiletries. I'm not sure how the appliances match up to other stores, but remember you do get a 3 year guarantee. My advice would be to go along with someone as a guest first of all and work out if you think there are savings to be had. Happy shopping!!

Summary: Bulk buy and make savings on well chosen quality items but make sure you shop around!