For several years now, we have been members of Costco. It is a bulk purchase, self service global warehouse chain. So far our Costco experiences have been mostly positive. Based on our own experiences we have compiled a list of pros and cons about Costco.
Merits
- Year round low price on most items compared to other supermarkets or grocery stores.
- No need to wait for any special sales event to get a deal or reasonably low price.
- Manufacturers usually make custom packages for Costco which are bigger in size or larger in quantity. Similar packages may not be available elsewhere.
- Quality of wares are mostly good.
- In particular, Costco's carries sleek deals on electronics products.
- They have a photo development center where premium quality photos can be developed at a low price. Trust us on this one. We have printed hundreds photos at Costco. Never had any complaints about quality.
- Passport photo development is extremely cheap: $4.99 per set (i.e. 2 passport size photos). Other stores charge at least $9.99 per set.
- Customer service is excellent.
- Very generous return policy. We personally know folks who have returned items 11 months after their purchase without any questions asked at the time of return!
- Occasionally, during very specific sales events, other supermarkets may have better deals on similar items.
- There is hardly any mega sales event during Christmas or holidays shopping seasons.
- Even though one may not need a lot of stuff, one has to buy in bulk at Costco.
- Costco carries only a few selected brands.
- There is room for improvement in the quality of vegetables and fruits.
- Very few choices are available for organic produce.
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership warehouses that offer a selection of branded and private label products in a range of merchandise categories in no-frills, self-service warehouse facilities. Its product categories include candy, snack foods, tobacco, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, and cleaning and institutional supplies; dry and institutionally packaged foods; meat, bakery, deli, and produce; appliances, electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, office supplies, garden and patio, sporting goods, furniture, cameras, and automotive supplies; apparel, domestics, jewelry, house wares, media, home furnishings, and small appliances; and gas stations, pharmacy, food court, optical, one-hour photo, hearing aid, and travel."
Image Source(s): iStockPhoto
