Costco - Is It All It`s Cracked Up To Be?

[237SJ]

I joined yesterday and went along to the Farnborough branch. I got a couple of bargains on champagne and a bottle of port for christmas and their meat seemed to be good but apart from that I wasn`t that impressed. Am I missing something?

[silliemillie]

No you're not missing anything, I thought the same, don't bother going anymore, by the time you add on VAT you can get some of it in the cheap shops for less.

[DaisyNonna]

Heard so much about Morrisons. Sounded lovely. Tried it. Like shopping in an aircraft hangar and almost impossible to get to and from by public transport.

[rockyracoon]

Nah, I jacked my membership in years ago, I found if I bulk bought, I bulk used so didn't really save any money.

[sherrardk]

I use Bookers (but just to buy sweets), everything else doesn't work out to be much of a bargain.

[jno]

their steaks are wonderful. A wine buff friend says their wines are good value, but I don't think they're all that. New books are cheap. Limited range of clothes but you'll sometimes see something you like; I bought a down jacket the other day. Their oranges used to be much better than anyone else's but the rest of the world is catching up; however, they're still very cheap. Coke is fairly cheap but for some reason Pepsi is half Coke prices.

If you're buying durable stuff their guarantees are very good - just go to the desk and hand it back if it breaks down, no questions asked.

[EcclesCake]

Household stuff is good value, dishwasher tabs/washing powder tabs/vanish/fabric softener/loo cleaner.....etc. Particularly when they are featured in the monthly offer deal.

Wine and beer if you can pick up an offer is often better than the supermarket.

Their cheese is excellent value as is smoked salmon/gravadlax.

Tinned tomatoes and the like come up cheaper than supermarkets.

I could go on but, in short, yes CostCo is worth it, generally good produce at a really good price.

[237SJ]

I`ve just googled Bookers and it turns out that there is a branch a few miles from here but it says that you have to be a business or a charity to join and I am neither.
Do branches of Costco vary? My sister goes to the one at Thurrock and it seemed OK when I went there with her. Do they all do the same deals?

[jno]

oh, and I get my glasses there too. Again, they don't have that much variety of frames on offer, but that seems to be true of most opticians

[gingejbee]

Ah...Coke and Pepsi....the essentials of life.
(Can't stand either).

[jno]

yes, pretty sure the deals are the same everywhere.

Unfortunately they don't do cheap petrol as they do in the States. But you can use a UK CostCo card in the States, including filling your car up.

[jno]

they do Bundaberg ginger beer too, gingejbee

[EcclesCake]

The deals are all the same. The Farnborough CostCo is a good one IMHO.

[237SJ]

The only time I have been to a Costco (apart from that one time with my sister) was in America in the 80s when I used to go with my cousin. There were some real bargains. I thought the electronics would be a good deal but I was admiring a Panasonic music system yesterday and when I got home I googled it and it was the same price in John Lewis and £10 cheaper in Co-op.

[237SJ]

Sorry, I keep crossing posts with everyone. When I went before, I bought some chicken breasts and used them to make a curry in the slow cooker. That was the only time I have bought chicken in this country that hasn`t shrunk down to nothing when cooked. Apparently Costco`s chicken isn`t pumped full of water so that is good. That is definitely a product I will be buying there.

[Sparkles62]

I wasn't impressed at all, I left after a year, I dont think that I even saved enough to cover the cost of the joining fee.

[jno]

237SJ, with the electronics, as I said compare the guarantees as well as the prices; CostCo's are often longer.

[237SJ]

jno - I`m not really bothered about guarantees on electronic goods. When was the last time you bought a decent branded electronic item and it broke? Most things last untll beyond the guarantee period if you buy a good make and Panasonic is a good make.

[douglas9401]

I think you're supposed to think you're special because you're a member but no, it's not all that.
Especially the friendly trolley search on the way out.

[ladybirder]

Their delicious Cheddar Cheese is £4.49kg. I use UHT milk and it works out at 58p/bottle as opposed to between 92p - £1 in most supermarkets. I buy 3-months' worth at a time. Pays my petrol. Cat and dog food are a really good price, books are so cheap, spices very cheap, tea bags are another bargain. Oh and toilet rolls, washing powder/liquid really good prices. And I got a 5-year warranty on my TV. But their electronics are not always the cheapest you need to check. But their food stuff is excellent quality. I love it.

[237SJ]

Eccles - I`m not sure where you live but I`m thinking it`s somewhere west of London. Did you know that Costco have requested planning permission to have a warehouse at Sunbury? They would do a roaring trade around here (what with all the airport workers, for a start) I`m not sure if it will happen as I am sure that Tesco will object (there is a massive Tesco Extra nearby).