The COSTCO Thread

[Clark Addison]

Regarding returns, I think the argument that "Costco's policies permit it, therefore it is fine to do" is a little disingenuous. Costco has implemented a policy that is pragmatic; their policy, in aggregate, allows them to provide quality customer service while maintaining profitability. Just because it is effective in aggregate does not mean that there are not actions that fall within the scope of the policy that could be considered abusive. A company like Costco cannot afford to make policies to cover every contingency or motivation, and will by necessity be broad.

I'd compare it to a restaurant. Most restaurants will allow customers a great amount of latitude in returning food. Most people are reasonable about this; however, I am sure that many of us know people who will send back their dinners for any little thing. They don't like cilantro, or the wrong kind of olive was used, or they wanted their steak on the medium side of medium rare, and it was brought out a touch too red. I once worked with a woman and went on several business trips with her. In 90% of the meals she ate, she returned something. In about 75% of the hotels she stayed in, she requested a room change. She was acting within the bounds of the policies, but most people considered her actions a bit jerkish, and if everyone did it, you can bet policies would change.

Bear in mind that I am the guy who won't go back (or let his kids go back) for seconds on samples, so I may tend to the opposite extreme.

[creekster]

Aren't the European makers the ones that have led the way on safety innovations? They're not innundated with lawsuits in Europe nearly to the same degree as the US. I do, however, appreciate the fact that tort lawyers have prevented companies like Ford from making too many decisions that save about $5.00 per car in exchange for more than few lost customers' lives. Much like Alex Jensen's Spock haircut was a bastardization of Ross Gellar's Caesar from the first season of Friends, the current tort lawyer regime is a gross mutation of the formerly somewhat noble business.

This is a different issue. reagrdless of who invented the innovation, seeing theminstqled in all or almost all vehicles is a function of either regulation or economic incentive. Absent regulation, most of these ideas were adopted on a widespread basis in order to avoid the cost of suits/litigation or, at the very least, that was a contirbuting factor.

[TheBYUGuy]

on a more Costco related note, on Saturday my SIL introduced us to a fairly yummy new snack.....chocolate covered pomegranate seeds. very rich, but tasty. Has anyone tried these out? Another Costco special.

I don't know if Costco has two different products or if you've been misled. They have a snack called "Dark Chocolate Pomegranate", which is somewhat deceiving. The "Pomegranate" part of it is a gummy substance made from pomegranate juice and other juices, but they are not real pomegranate seeds covered in chocolate. Regardless, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate is a winner.

[Fiyero]

Sarah Palin will be at the SLC CostCo tomorrow signing her book, 18th S 3rd W. You need to arrive early to get a ticket.

[Fiyero]

Sarah Palin will be at the SLC CostCo tomorrow signing her book, 18th S 3rd W. You need to arrive early to get a ticket.

They said on the news that only 600 people showed up; CostCo was expecting over 1,000.

Additionally, leaders of the local SLC GOP chapter asked if they could meet with her, and she had a staff member send an email reply declining. They complained to the news reporter, "this was an opportunity for her to expand her national presence, but all she wanted to do was sell books and skip right on out."

[falafel]

They said on the news that only 600 people showed up; CostCo was expecting over 1,000.

Additionally, leaders of the local SLC GOP chapter asked if they could meet with her, and she had a staff member send an email reply declining. They complained to the news reporter, "this was an opportunity for her to expand her national presence, but all she wanted to do was sell books and skip right on out."

That's kind of ridiculous for the local leaders to expect her to meet with them. She's on a book tour, and its likely that her trip is very tightly scheduled. I doubt she was just planning on hanging out at the Gateway the rest of the day after the signing.

[Fiyero]

More people showed up at the opening of In-N-Out than showed up to meet Sarah.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I stumbled on this today.... and thought it was humorous.

"Clueless in Costco"

Consider the fuss over Costco landing on the island of Manhattan last month. Costco is the nation’s third largest retailer, with more than 400 warehouse stores in the United States alone. Liberals love Costco because they pay their workers about 40 percent more than their big box rivals.

Conservatives love them because they sell Sarah Palin’s book by the pallet, next to the camo wear.

Costco is a brilliant retail concept, but it’s not news. It’s been around for, oh . . . a quarter-century or so. Some of the gushing posts on New York-based Web sites after Costco opened on East 117th Street have all the breathless urgency of a tourist who has discovered bagels in Boulder.

“It’s amazing how many things you can get for a fairly decent price!” One shopper wrote on Yelp New York, the online review site. Um, that’s the idea. And other observers have seemed befuddled in the big box, overwhelmed by the lure of tube sox and toilet paper to last a lifetime.

Most Westerners may not know schmear from schmaltz, but they can tell a sophisticated urban shopper to stick with the to-die-for olive oil, cold-pressed just a few weeks ago in Tuscany, and the $1.50 quarter-pound hot dog when under the high fluorescent sky of a Costco warehouse.

The $1.50 dog/drink gets its due... the best friggin' meal deal in America!

cheers.

Where the hell were all these people before? If you have a car (and if you don't, then how can you buy stuff in bulk from Costco), then it really wasn't difficult to drive to the Costco in Queens which is pretty close to the river.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Just tried something new from Costco: butternut squash ravioli. It is fresh and can be found in the deli section (or whatever you call it). We used tomato mascarapone cheese sauce (also from Costco). It was absolutely delicious. Be sure to try it out.

[statman]

Where the hell were all these people before? If you have a car (and if you don't, then how can you buy stuff in bulk from Costco), then it really wasn't difficult to drive to the Costco in Queens which is pretty close to the river.

New Yorkers (Manhattanites) live in a bubble.

I worked at Citi when they bought the Sears credit card portfolio. It was a huge purchase $35 billion for the cards, receivables and systems. One of the funniest/strangest things I have ever seen in my life was a reception that was hosted by the senior Citi management team immediately after the purchase was announced. They had a little shindig in Chicago with top people from both Citi and Sears and the groups that hammered out the details of the acquisition.

During the course of the evening, it became very clear that three most senior managers at Citi had NEVER been in a Sears store. All New Yorkers born and raised. Left the island to attend school in Boston, New Haven, and Philly. Moved back to the City for grad school and to work.

These people - especially those that choose to live in Manhattan - live lives that are VERY detached from mainstream Americans.

[kccougar]

I don't know if Costco has two different products or if you've been misled. They have a snack called "Dark Chocolate Pomegranate", which is somewhat deceiving. The "Pomegranate" part of it is a gummy substance made from pomegranate juice and other juices, but they are not real pomegranate seeds covered in chocolate. Regardless, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate is a winner.

I had the dark chocolate pomegranate balls over the holidays. Just like Lay's potato chips - you can't eat just one.

[wuapinmon]

I had the dark chocolate pomegranate balls over the holidays. Just like Lay's potato chips - you can't eat just one.

must......resist.....joke....possibilities....

[LiveCoug]

I stumbled on this today.... and thought it was humorous.

"Clueless in Costco"

Consider the fuss over Costco landing on the island of Manhattan last month. Costco is the nation’s third largest retailer, with more than 400 warehouse stores in the United States alone. Liberals love Costco because they pay their workers about 40 percent more than their big box rivals.

Conservatives love them because they sell Sarah Palin’s book by the pallet, next to the camo wear.

Costco is a brilliant retail concept, but it’s not news. It’s been around for, oh . . . a quarter-century or so. Some of the gushing posts on New York-based Web sites after Costco opened on East 117th Street have all the breathless urgency of a tourist who has discovered bagels in Boulder.

“It’s amazing how many things you can get for a fairly decent price!” One shopper wrote on Yelp New York, the online review site. Um, that’s the idea. And other observers have seemed befuddled in the big box, overwhelmed by the lure of tube sox and toilet paper to last a lifetime.

Most Westerners may not know schmear from schmaltz, but they can tell a sophisticated urban shopper to stick with the to-die-for olive oil, cold-pressed just a few weeks ago in Tuscany, and the $1.50 quarter-pound hot dog when under the high fluorescent sky of a Costco warehouse.

The $1.50 dog/drink gets its due... the best friggin' meal deal in America!

cheers.

I thought only Utahns got excited when new stores opened up. Now you are telling me that New Yorkers do the same thing????? It can't be!!!!

[statman]

I thought only Utahns got excited when new stores opened up. Now you are telling me that New Yorkers do the same thing????? It can't be!!!!

Utahns get excited because they know about Costco and a new store closer to their home means it won't be such an ordeal to go there. New Yorkers are mesmerized by the new stores because they've never seen ANYTHING like them.

The same thing happened when they opened a Home Depot in Manhattan a few years back. Huge crowds of people coming just to gawk at the enormity of it all...

[TheBYUGuy]

I had the dark chocolate pomegranate balls over the holidays. Just like Lay's potato chips - you can't eat just one.

We just finished our Dark Chocolate Pom yesterday. Fantastic. In other exciting news, our neighbors just returned from Chicago and brought us a treat--Trader Joe's Chocolate Covered Pom seeds. These ones are in fact real pom seeds, and I'm excited to try them out during the Fiesta Bowl tonight.