How Can I Get A Costco In My City?

[Don_G]

Ask the Mayor; 4th term Democrat?

Ask my Governor: Newly elected Retug but can't talk to the State's largest paper without everything in writing first?

Ask my Senator: Mitch McConnell, Minority Head and Elaine Chao's "head."

Or ask my Congress Rep: Ann "What's Her Name" who consistantly votes Bush but found it convienent to leave "her" name out of the Phone Book after our local paper discovered she used her office to jack up the price on Harley-Davidson Radios nationwide.

I also find it questionable that Anne Northern has been dropped from the Goverment Listings in the Phone Books in her "area."

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. One question:

What is a Costco?

[Piperay]

7. A "warehouse" store

you pay $35-45 to join and you can buy things in bulk, plus they sell things that are different from what you might find other places. It's an interesting experience and you can save money if you know how to shop.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. Costco vs. Walmart....

A friend of a friend works here in SF at the local Costco, making the pizzas at the snack bar.

She has worked there 4 years and makes $18 an hour. AND she has great benefits.

Which is why I will continue to support Costco.

[david_vincent]

2. Why ask any doofus politician?

Just write to Costco and ask them!

[csc]

3. Tough

Tough! Uh you have to wait till "the market" wants one! remember we live in a backwards capitalist country and your opinion doesnt matter Costco is "free" to ignore your market because it cant make enough money in your market and will only go to where it can make a profit. Property rights suck.

if gore was president and not some stupid texan and it we could kick out the conservatives in the senate then maybe we could g3et a governemtn that would manage the distribution of wealth and stuff FAIRLY INSTEAD OF THE MOST PROFITABLE WAY. but we live in AMERICA where money is all that matters.

[maggrwaggr]

4. why would you want one?

Costco is a horrible experience.

You will feel a bit sick to your stomach at the massive consuming that goes on there. The whole experience is about consuming huge quantites of stuff.

They even make the shopping carts extra big so the stuff looks smaller in the cart. You get it home and realize it won't even fit in your house.

Plus the Costco brand stuff (Kirkland) doesn't even work very well. The over-the-counter drugs are strangely ineffective.

I hate the place. I joined it last year just to buy baby stuff. You can save money, but you gotta spend the money to save it. You can't even buy one chicken. You have to buy two chickens shrink-wrapped together.

[buycitgo]

5. costco.....let me count the ways

you can get LOTS of stuff there in reasonable amounts, like books, clothes, computers, cameras (I got glasses there for TWO HUNDRED bucks less than anywhere else).

you make a point about consumerism, but, what are you going to do, MAKE all your essentials? where you going to buy it?

I haven't had any more or less trouble with Kirkland stuff (except a battery charger) than anything else I've ever bought


the KEY thing about them, though, is their CEO, who's a human being, and treats his employees decently. had a long talk with somebody there who said the CEO personally intervened with the insurance company that refused to cover some expensive medical procedure.
CEO called company and said he'd cancel the contract if she weren't covered.

anecdotal, sure, but why would a guy make that up (he was also a cop, working two fulltime jobs)

I know they've been castigated for other things, but since I buy stuff, I make sure to buy what I can there.

They're like Sam's Club, BTW, for the other poster.

Plus, they have VERY VERY lenient return policy......don't need a receipt, even, most of the time, and they'll let you take stuff back for EVER, almost. I returned a phone after over a year, w/o receipt, and they exchanged it for a new, better model.

[lysergik]

12. Sams Club = Walmart = BOYCOTT n/t

[Mairead]

8. Not to mention it's just a Wal-Mart destroy-alike

Shopping there destroys local stores, just as shopping at WalMart does.

[Cleita]

9. There is another problem that you can't blame on

chains like Costco or Walmart but that you can blame on the middle-man, the distributor. Large chains who can buy in bulk get better prices. Mom and Pop stores, who have to buy smaller amounts, pay more so they have to charge more. If the distributors could be forced to give the same price to everyone, this could change.

Many make an issue out of delivery costs but it's really BS. They can deliver to mom and pop at the same time they deliver to Walmart at no extra cost, or they can ship UPS for some goods. However, since this benefits the large chains, getting fair wholesale prices across the board will be like getting the insurance industry out of health care, a long, hard struggle.

[lysergik]

11. Sorry, but Costco isn't Wal-Mart

Shopping there doesn't destroy any local businesses.

Last I checked there were no mom and pop wholesale stores. Actually mom and pop stores shop at Costco to buy business supplies and other materials so they can lower their bottom line. Costco is a wonderful place to buy all sorts of useful items at a very reasonable price. Personally I haven't had any problems with any Kirkland branded items, they've all been very high quality.

[Nazgul35]

13. you might want to check out post #9

that'll answer why you are incorrect about what impact wholsale stores have on local business...

[lysergik]

16. Ok..

It didn't answer anything..

Walmart sells regular items in regular quantities that you can find at mom and pop shops at rediculously low prices, that hurts small business.

Costco sells regular items in large quantities. Lots of small restaurants buy from Costco because of the large quantities. Lots of small businesses buy their consumable items from there.

Trying to lump Walmart and Costco in the same categories is like saying the United States is the same as the continent of Asia.

Costco helps small businesses save money and supports the economy in general, whereas Walmart destroys all of the above.

[Cleita]

6. Write Costco, and ask if they intend to open a store near you in

the future. I have to drive twenty miles to our Costco. I don't buy any of the bulk items like TP and paper towels because I don't have the space for them, but I have saved a lot on electronic gizmos over the years. One drawback is that the only credit card they accept is American Express, other than that it's cash.

[area51]

10. Costco

One of the TV news programs in Houston had a story about how Costco had cheaper prescriptions than any other place they polled. They said that you could get your prescription from them & you don't have to be a member.

[Cascadian]

14. Why a warehouse store?

I think you should really channel your efforts in saving those small "mom and pop" stores that are dying off one by one with the Wal Mart/Costco/Target juggernaut. This is what kills off communities. There was a time when every town in America would have it's own character and uniqueness. Now with these megastores all over the place, Rapid City, SD looks almost like Raleigh, NC.

Better to keep your money to small businesses. They'll appreciate the business.

John

[Cleita]

18. Not everyone can afford the extra cost.

So they shop at these larger discount stores, although I shop mostly at Kmart for the stuff I need at them. There was a time you could by a lot of low priced items at the dime stores, but since they have gone out of business for the most part, Kmart and Walmart have filled the void left by the dime stores.

Incidentally, the dime stores like Newberrys and Woolworths, also dealt in low cost items. I practically furnished my first apartment out of Newberrys. I could buy cheap dishes, pots and pans and linens there. Back then though, most of what they sold was manufactured in the USA with some stuff coming in from Asia, which started as a trickle. Now one can seldom pick up anything that is dime store priced that isn't made in a foreign country.

[K8-EEE]

20. Shelly Winters and Woolworths

Shelly Winters was in one of the first strikes against Woolworths -- and it was when strikers were put on all sorts of "communist" lists etc...it was an interesting chapter in her biog!

[K8-EEE]

21. Ma & Pa

I think the Ma & Pa stores are going to have to specialize more -- I will definitely go to the bakery that has regional stuff or the film processor who does specialty black and white developing etc.

When you have a large family, Costco is really a big deal for staple items.

[Vadem]

15. Costco donates 100% to Democrats!!!!!

That is enough reason, right there, to join. I love Costco. Plus, the only coffee I drink is the Kirkland brand at $3.99 per 3 lbs. 100% Columbian. It is delicious and that is the only brand I buy.

[K8-EEE]

19. costco.com

True you can get great bargains there -- but I always end up overspending because I'm "saving so much money!"

The people who work at Costco say they get good $$ & perks, I would never shop at Wallmart!

Go to Costco.com -- I've never bought anything online cuz there is one really close to me but maybe you can buy your bulk stuff that way -- do you have a Smart & Final?

[dflprincess]

22. Check this out in the editorials column

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=26734

There's a link to an editorial about Costco from the Mpls Star Tribune

http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/4276361.html

Apparently, Fortune has panned the CEO of Costco for putting "customers and employees ahead of share holders".