Was there today, food samples all over the store (a Sunday). Good stuff. Prices are great in almost every case. Many unique items make it special, I have membership at Sam's but there is no comparison. Costco, in my opinion is the better store. And people in the Charlotte store are very friendly (customers and employees alike). I am told that Costco pays help well, and gets the best. I believe it. They also have the best customer loyalty of any retail store. By some national surveys. Great place to stock up, like paper towels and such -- things that don't go bad "on the shelf" at home. Their house brand Kirkland is superior to most branded products, I don't think you could ever go wrong buying their house brand. They contract with manufacturers for something actually superior to similar goods sold under other brand names. They have their own testing labs and go about designing the house brands with zeal. They go for value and customer satisfaction.
Unfortunately they are not in Columbia, my home town. I can visit with friends in Charlotte, or Charleston.
I once wanted to buy stock in Costco, but the stock wasn't doing all that well, haven't checked it lately.
I agree that Costco has the edge over Sam's Club. Having been a member of both, I can say that the produce choices at Costco are far superior and include walk-in refrigerators and a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.
ReplyDeleteAt my local Sam's Club, they would not carry skim milk because of the "demographics." I've had employees tell me that they do carry skim milk from time to time, but it sells out within the first few hours... every time. Seems like a conflict between their studies and market demand reality.