Your purse will feel the Cost at Costco! (Costco)

Member Name: Mrs-LT

Product:	Costco
Date:	13/02/09 (392 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice birthday cakes, big and cheap

Disadvantages: Membership fee, products can be bought cheaper in supermarkets

We visited Costco a couple of weeks ago, which was the third or fourth time I have been. You have to be a member to shop there, which I believe costs around £25 annually, although I am not 100% sure as it is my mother-in-law who has the membership and we went with her. I do know that it is certainly more than just a nominal fee (and Makro, which is a similar type of shop, does not charge a membership fee thus giving them an instant advantage).

Despite hearing good things about Costco I will not be returning and my mother-in-law will not be renewing her membership when it runs out in March - I think that says it all really.

The shop is a big warehouse-style shop (so be warned, you will need to wear a coat as it gets chilly) which sells catering-size packs of sweets, chocolate, drinks....all different foodstuffs really. However, with the exception of the big tubs of sweets I don't think an average family could get through the food before its sell-by date as the packs are so large. Also, they are not especially cheap despite being a bulk purchase....you will not save money by buying in bulk here unless you are a trader so I don't see the need to bother. They also sell TVs, electricals, jewellry, stuff for the home and bits and pieces such as books, toys and clothing. They change their non-food stock regularly so unlike a regular shop you can't see something and come back to buy it a few weeks later - chances are it will be long gone.

Car parking is free and there is ample space. The trollies are ridiculoulously large and we joke it is like driving a tank.

There is also a little cafe - diner style, cheap and basic - after the checkouts which seems to be very popular although I have not personally tried it. They sell takeaway pizzas too which look really nice.

As you exit, you have the contents of your trolley checked against your till receipt to check everything has been paid for. The staff who do this are always very polite and it takes seconds to do, so it is not a hassle at all.

I did not find a single bargain other than the birthday cakes (more on these below). I think perhaps a caterer or cafe owner would find it good value but in all honest I just don't understand the hype about it. Let me give you an idea of prices:

Just under £25 for under 200 size 4 Huggies nappies.
I bought a box of 84 for £7 from Asda and one for the same price in Morrisons.

Ipod for around £130.
They retail in electrical shops for £105-110.

A pack of 2 Disney bodyshop vests for £8.
Poor quality and I have never seen non-designer vests so expensive!

Disney Winnie the Pooh cushions £15.
Can be bought considerably cheaper elsewhere.

Jack Tickle pop-up books £5.99.
Can get them in Morrisons for £5.

Hardback books such as James Patterson, £9.50 + VAT.
Can get them in Asda for £9-10.

Yet you pay a yearly membership for the privilege of buying items at prices higher than you would pay elsewhere? I honestly just do not understand it. I guess the only way you could make money is if you were a business buying in bulk and selling more expensively (for example at corner shop convenience store prices rather then the cheaper supermarket bargains you can get).

I could find nothing that was a good buy. The cupcakes looked delicious but a box of 12 was £11.99, they only lasted 4-5 days and would not have been eaten. And even so, £1 each is hardly bargainous especially when taste-wise my mum has tried them and says while they look good they aren't anything special.

The only good thing about Costco products is the birthday cakes they do. They cost about £12 and they are ginormous (really, really huge) so ideal for a big kids' party if you don't want to spend lots. However they are also limited in their decoration (basically balloons and that's all you can have) so you would get the sick of buying the same cakes for the whole family year in, year out I'm sure. They have a lovely creamy soft icing piped on them, and copious amounts of it too, and they do taste really lovely. However, it is hardly worth the membership fee just to get a couple of birthday cakes each year is it?

Summary: Total waste of time (and membership fee!)