[afransen]

I can't say I'm much of a fan of Costco, either. I find the idea of paying for a membership to gain access to products or equal or worse price to other outlets a bit bizarre. Futureshop slaughters them on electronics from what I've seen, discount grocery stores similarly crush them on food prices.

 

[nfitz]

I poppped in once, as I was parked near one, and needed milk. Took a good look around, and didn't find a single product that interested me. And the only big grocery store I've been in that didn't have organic milk.

So I left. Though someone mentioned later, that I would have had to have got some kind of membership, just to buy some milk ... which seems hard to believe ... makes me wish I'd actually tried to buy something small, simply to observe the absurdity of it all.

I'm not surprised at all that they failed, based on what little I saw in the store.

 

[ShonTron]

I can't say I'm much of a fan of Costco, either. I find the idea of paying for a membership to gain access to products or equal or worse price to other outlets a bit bizarre. Futureshop slaughters them on electronics from what I've seen, discount grocery stores similarly crush them on food prices.

I've found the deals to be quite good and at least consistent, though often it means buying in bulk, which only works for some people and requires a car or a taxi ride back. They are very competitive on electronics, though not always. The grocery stuff isn't super cheap, but they do sell better cuts of meat than the discounters for sure, even Dominion. Though while the book selection is limited to new releases and children's books, they have a considerable discount.

 

[gabe]

I save tons of money shopping at Costco, it's great if you got a big family you can get some amazing deals on bulk items. Sam's club never had the quality food that Costco has, The few times i was in Sam's club it was never that busy.

 

[afransen]

I save tons of money shopping at Costco, it's great if you got a big family you can get some amazing deals on bulk items. Sam's club never had the quality food that Costco has, The few times i was in Sam's club it was never that busy.

You have to figure in cost of membership, as well. It all seems so silly to me.


I was at Costco around Boxing Day. I was looking at a bunch of electronics (not TVs, though), and the prices at Costco were brutal. Their computers were especially uncompetitive. Things like the DS are about the same as elsewhere.

The one thing I've heard good things about are chicken breasts and 'gift ideas'. I imagine that most grocery items are about the same as discount grocery or non-membership wholesale stores like Real Canadian Wholesale.

 

[urbandreamer]

Costco sells these incredibly juicy (Californian) dates, best I've eaten. Maybe they sell them somewhere else?

Also, big packages of cheapish kosher meat. Otherwise, yeah, they suck.

 

[realtycoon]

I can't say I'm much of a fan of Costco, either. I find the idea of paying for a membership to gain access to products or equal or worse price to other outlets a bit bizarre. Futureshop slaughters them on electronics from what I've seen, discount grocery stores similarly crush them on food prices.

Costco slaughters Future Shop and Discount Grocers on service any day. Costco actually stands behind electronics that they sell with a 90 day refund policy and automatic 2 year warranty.
Try going to a Future Shop with a problem with your TV (even if you bought their warranty). You won't be happy with them.

 

[gregv]

I enjoyed shopping at Sam's Club in Niagara Falls USA and will probably continue to do so with free passes that are occasionally available (with no non-member surcharge).

In Toronto, the Saturday hours until 7pm and Sunday until 6pm were convenient for me. I will miss that.

I returned my broken rear projection HDTV to Sam' Club Canada 20 months after I purchased it - full no hassle refund. With technology changes I was able to upgrade to a better LCD HDTV for less.

Without Sam's as an alternative, I agree with the previous poster that the COSTCO return policy is unmatched in Canada.

 

[afransen]

Costco slaughters Future Shop and Discount Grocers on service any day. Costco actually stands behind electronics that they sell with a 90 day refund policy and automatic 2 year warranty.
Try going to a Future Shop with a problem with your TV (even if you bought their warranty). You won't be happy with them.

My one warranty claim with future shop resulted in a replacement on the spot, with a superior product.

And I'm not sure how a return policy differentiates Costco on food. Just about every retailer and food manufacturer has a satisfaction guarantee--if you don't like their product you will receive a full refund.

 

[TOareaFan]

I've known about Costco's better employee wages and benefits which in my mind helps to cancel out their auto-centric business model. Kinda like the In-N-Out of big box retail. I still go to Costco with family and pick up the occasional bargain and don't mind going at all, partly as I know it treats employees well and encourages retention. I stand by my 11-year long boycott of Wal-Mart.

My boycott, actually, is with Costco...... I don't think it gets discussed enough but these retailers are actually taxed at industrial rates (Loblaws sued and lost on this point years ago) giving them a taxpayer subsidised price advantage over the very retailers they compete with.

I have never stepped foot in one, and won't until they are forced to compete on the same basis as the retailers they compete with.

 

[realtycoon]

My boycott, actually, is with Costco...... I don't think it gets discussed enough but these retailers are actually taxed at industrial rates (Loblaws sued and lost on this point years ago) giving them a taxpayer subsidised price advantage over the very retailers they compete with.

I have never stepped foot in one, and won't until they are forced to compete on the same basis as the retailers they compete with.

I don't think that is the case... Do you have any evidence to support that.. Many Costco locations are in Retail areas, zoned retail, paying retail property taxes..

 

[realtycoon]

My one warranty claim with future shop resulted in a replacement on the spot, with a superior product.

And I'm not sure how a return policy differentiates Costco on food. Just about every retailer and food manufacturer has a satisfaction guarantee--if you don't like their product you will receive a full refund.

You were lucky.. It is easier to get blood out of a stone then to get a satisfactory resolution to a problem at Future Shop!

 

[TOareaFan]

I don't think that is the case... Do you have any evidence to support that.. Many Costco locations are in Retail areas, zoned retail, paying retail property taxes..

I recall the site in Brampton being the subject of the suit...it is now a Costco. If you look at that site, First Gulf built their Orion Gate shopping centre which is pure retail and across the street is the industrial zoned lands and that is where the Costco is.

I tried to find details on the case (can't locate it but will keep trying) essentially Loblaws claimed (unsuccessfully) that the location was a retail outlet and that they should be subject to the same municipal property tax rates as other retailers or not be allowed to open up an essentially retail operation in an industrial area. The opposing argument was that the bulk nature of the shopping and the requirement for memberships made them a wholesale operation and that locating in, and being taxed as, industrial real estate was appropriate.

This case goes back a long ways so forgive my memory if I am not 100% clear on it but that was the essence of it and why I have never stepped foot in (never mind shopped in) a Costco.

Think of the bargains I have missed if the situation has changed in the meantime The point of raising in this thread was just to contrast others favouring Costco over WalMart when my boycott runs the other way.

 

[Hydrogen]

Didn't miss Sam's before and won't miss them after.

 

[junctionist]

I recall the site in Brampton being the subject of the suit...it is now a Costco. If you look at that site, First Gulf built their Orion Gate shopping centre which is pure retail and across the street is the industrial zoned lands and that is where the Costco is.

I tried to find details on the case (can't locate it but will keep trying) essentially Loblaws claimed (unsuccessfully) that the location was a retail outlet and that they should be subject to the same municipal property tax rates as other retailers or not be allowed to open up an essentially retail operation in an industrial area. The opposing argument was that the bulk nature of the shopping and the requirement for memberships made them a wholesale operation and that locating in, and being taxed as, industrial real estate was appropriate.

This case goes back a long ways so forgive my memory if I am not 100% clear on it but that was the essence of it and why I have never stepped foot in (never mind shopped in) a Costco.

Think of the bargains I have missed if the situation has changed in the meantime The point of raising in this thread was just to contrast others favouring Costco over WalMart when my boycott runs the other way.

Well, in Toronto, the industrial tax rate is the highest of all rates, so Costco would be at a disadvantage. Because of this misunderstanding, you should do extra shopping there to make it up to them .