Costco comes to Sydney

[aussie-plugs]

So we're getting a Costco store ... is this a good thing or a bad thing?

US superstore gets go-ahead for Sydney

US discount retail giant Costco will set up its Australian headquarters in Sydney after the NSW government approved the plan today.

www.smh.com.au

 

[rapunzel]

It's a very good thing.

A very, very good thing.

 

[gyrafoam]

LOVE Costco!

 

[mtn1584]

Costco is a great store with high quality merchandise and great values. You will come to love Costco, as much as many Americans do. Their private label "Kirkland Signature" is on everything from clothing to detergent, and is one of the finest high quality private label brands there are. National brand products can also be found at reasonable prices as well.

 

[toggleswitch]

Welcome to overbuying and hoarding, American style!

it's the IDEA that one is saving money. Having the product rot on one's shelves and tossing it out is NOT saving money.

But enjoy it wisely!

 

[rayjay]

TOggles is right. Buy what you think you will use. Great buys on detergents softeners, etc. Their food and meat are also excellent. Some larger quantities of items such as spices are in large containers, and unless you use a lot of them, they could go bad. But for the most part..... it is a wonderfull place. Milk here in NJ goes for 4.00+ a gallon, we can get it at Costco for $2.45. A nice savings, and yoy only have to buy a gallon, Half and Half for coffee is only 1.69 a quart, in the store I pay that for a pint. The membership pays for itself in a couple of visits if not one visit. They always have a lot of items there that you do not see in stores.

Have fun. It is definately worth it.

 

[petek]

Yes it can be temptingly dangerous because so much of their wares are impulse items, if you don't buy it now it's gone by your next visit. I hesitated on a Ridgeway grandfather clock years ago for $800, a steal, and regretted it. I got my Hoover Powermax upright at the Calgary store way back in the early 90's when they first opened,, good price, still have it. In the beginnings we did waste money on bulk food purchases that never got used.. No more, and some of those multi-pak items aren't any cheaper, sometimes more, than what you pay at a regular grocery store.
Fortunately for us now there isn't one near us here for 60 mi whereas back in calgary it was about 2 miles away.

 

[sudsmaster]

Having to toss unused bulk food is a problem. On the flip side, Costco has a very liberal return policy, other than for computers/electronics. Virtually no time limit as long as one has a receipt (although they might question something that's five years or more old). Also, food is still generally cheap, and even cheaper in bulk, so if one winds up tossing some (mine goes to my backyard compost pile whenever possible) it's not that big of a financial hit, I think.

The impulse item issue can be problematic - here today, gone next month. Still, some of the items seem to return on a seasonal basis, and often the second time around they are discounted even more, so it can be fun to keep an eye out on an item and then swooping in and scooping it up when it gets even more discounted.

Some Kirkland items I like and regularly purchase: TP, paper towels, undershirts/underwear/crew socks. Cookies (macadamia/white chocolate rocks), romaine lettuce, red bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes (out of season), Colombian coffee.

I've given up on their tennis shoes - the insoles tend to buckle and warp with wear and wind up making the shoes too tight, with the toes point up.

Their jeans, while not as good as name brands, are good enough for work/play and generally very reasonably priced. I liked their black jeans but haven't seen any in the stores for a while now. Usually I try to spot when a new shipment comes in so I can find my particular waist/inseam combination.

Also good: their printer paper, office supplies in general, car batteries. And their meat (beef mainly) is top notch and generally much better quality and same or lower price than what one can get at a typical supermarket. Again, the bulk issue can be a problem but it's a reason to have a chest freezer...

In the stores here, you have to buy two gallons of milk, generally, which is way too much for one person. Their local business center store, however, sells 1/2 gallon cartons of the "Producers" brand, and that is ok. But I also like the 1/2 gallon milk from Lucky or Safeway.

 

[irishwashguy]

I Love Cosco, they pay living wages, Great jobs, good prices

I will start buy getting a tank of gas there, usually they undercut everyone.Oxy clean is 14.99, Three pounds of butter for 6.99. Two galons of milk for 2.99. I will usually get my Kirkland real vanilla for 6.99.They have no hassle returns, just bring your card. I even have my car insurance through Cosco.
I always see the same faces. Great store, not a Walmart. I can always get a good deal.