Amazon vs. Costco: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Retail

You have to shop and compare. Costco has quality products for reasonable prices. If you are a small business owner, Costco will save you a lot of running around. If you don’t need that many bulk items; then share the bulk items with your friends. Costco Pharmacy, Optical and other services are great. I have personally used Costco’s Pharmacy, Optical, tire and on-line order services, and all are excellent. I recently filled a generic prescription for $3.00 for 60 tabs and a well known drug store charged me $55 for 30 tabs for the same product. My progressive eyeglasses with glare protection cost $204. The same glasses could easily cost over $400 elsewhere. Costco’s warranties are excellent, e.g. tire service, the purchase price includes lifetime balance and rotation. Costco should not be compare to Amazon because Amazon has limited services. Costco should be compare to like kind stores, such as Sam’s Club or BJ. I am a loyal customer and shareholder. Like Peter Lynch, buy what you know. I am holding Costco.

Costco works for me. The closest store is 10 miles from my home. I go there every two weeks, and the savings in milk and eggs alone than going to grocery stores is enough to cover the gas for the trip. The fruits and vegetables are very good, too.

Can't beat Costco consumer protection when buying electronics. (They automatically extend the warranty to 2 years free of charge). That being said, don't assume their prices are always the cheapest, because sometimes it is not! We were in a market for a new dinning set and found one at costco.com for 2300. The SAME EXACT ONE (even the identical pictures with same fake family posing) was being sold at rooms to go for 1700!! So do your homework before buying there, don't assume that just because its costco its the cheapest. I don't shop at Walmart. Walmart is responsible for bringing down the quality of life for lower income Americans, Even though they don't realize it and are one of the stores biggest supporters.

As others have said, you do have to watch your unit prices at costco. But if you haven't figured out you should be doing that everywhere you shop then you've been hiding under a rock. There may be a few things that costco overprices, but its rare. Generally their prices can't really be beat. For example, my regular albersons charges about 3.99 for a dozen x-large eggs. Costco will sell you two 18 packs of x-large eggs for somewhere in the $5 range. Other things that are great is meat, and almost anything freezable. You can't beat their prices on meats anywhere, and its usally good quality. I don't see how buying in bulk can be such a big deal for people. Sure it costs more up front, but consider this. You get nearly twice as much for only a fraction more than you will get at the grocery store for half as much. So, the food lasts you twice as long. Not only are you saving money on food but you're saving yourself money and time on gas because you only have to go to the store half as often.

Who Really Cares?

Stop consuming and start conserving all you pigs. No wonder America is a nation of debt.

Oh and the comment about needing an SUV to cart home food from costco? WTH? Maybe if you are buying food for three hundred people yeah or if you want to bring your whole family of nine with you shopping. But really an econo car can carry two passengers and a months worth of food away from costco without any problem. More market 'experts' talking out their rears.

Forget both those places, shop at www.buy.com. Best prices and free shipping

I think it's great that there is still a company that puts their customers ahead of investors. As an investor myself, as most of us are these days, we have to get real that the days of 20+% gains/year are over and were not realistic to begin with. But is seems like that doesn't resonate with the vast majority of the largest investors. Get over it...... The investment community has also based Costco in the past for paying their employee's too much, as if it's a federal crime to pay people a livable wage. Costco's CEO stated that the company was as strong as it is because of the people it employs. What a refreshing thought. Good for you Costco. Keep it up, and I will continue to give you my business.

Costco and walmart are not even comparable. Almost everything I've bought from costco is top-notch quality (Sony Bravia, Calvin Klein, DeWalt, Kenneth Cole etc). the few exceptions were returned, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. And yes, prices aren't the bottom barrel, but it beats clipping coupons and hunting down sales. Costco has reduced at least 2-3 rounds of shopping/stress from smaller stores. Walmart mostly has low end stuff (ala fancy kmart), at reasonable prices. But even they charge the 200-300% premium for some many products (where as costco you know you're not getting a steal but a reasonable 10-15% markup on a quality product).

I've shopped Costco for years, but one complaint I have is the inconsistent merchandising. They introduce a new product that my family loves whether it's Orange chicken or Ecos laundry detergent and then it dissappears. Apparently, once a lesser known brand starts taking away from the giants (like P&G), they start complaining and the product is yanked off the shelves. I understand the leverage of the large companies to offer the great prices... so it's just all about price, not choice, not brand loyalty. I'm a closet Wal Mart shopper. I hate the stores, but their prices are unbeatable, especially since you don't have to buy a years supply to get a deal.

i understnd all the problems at costco. first i bought milk at costco and it was warm. i likes it cold, so i froze it up but then it was too froze up to drink. so i bought it back to costco and they gave me more warmy milk. this time i got smart and jus left it outside til the weather become more coldlike. i think if mor e smart people like i shop at costco, the prices will be lower and the compANY WILL LOSe more money, which will make more smart buyers shop there and the company stock will get higher again. also, they should make the dam shoppers pay for all those free samples--at least one dollar for each free sample. if costoc want they can pay me for more good ideas and suchlike.

We have done a per item cost comparison with Walmart as well. Costco consistently beat them by a lot, on certain items. That is how Costco works, and it works for us. By the way, gas is consistently 20 cents cheaper than anywhere else, and there is a line for it as soon as they open (7:00AM) till they close (8:00PM). So we shop there once or twice a month for very specific items, and we are way more than paid back for the membership fee. I do not feel like a shoplifter as they check me out, and I think it would be good if more retailers stopped providing plastic bags for shoppers. Most retailers here are tryng hard to get people to bring their own bag, selling large cloth bags for 69 cents. Costco also has certain policies for electronics that are way more favorable than any other retailer. Given any item that is close in price, we chose Costco over Amazon based upon return policy and ease of return.

If you get bad service at a Costco you need to talk to the manager. Costco pays their hourly employees a living wage including health care insurance. It is possible to save big at Costco and know that your savings wasn't made possible by some part-time wage slaving making minl. wage.

Costco has extremely competitive pricing on many of its products but a lot of their stock is not competitively priced. Like everywhere else, you as a consumer, must show constant vigilance if your aim is to save money. My complaint about Walmart is that it carries all the crap brands you could ever hope for and its business practices are less than ethical. Amazon oh Amazon! Where were you most of my life? I can't say enough good things about the customer service Amazon provides. I subscribe to their free 2nd day shipping program and it's worth every cent. I order lots of books at the cheapest price around, many times I opt for used books displayed by other retailers on the amazon site, and I've bought everything from DVDs through to groceries. Impeccable service. Good communication. Well packed and fast! Amazon: may you live long and prosper! (unlike Walmart)

I love Costco! I have been a member since it opened where I live. The one near me is spotless and the employees are very firendly. They are good to their employees as evidenced by their retention of the employees. If you have a family of four or more, you will benefit from your membership. I have a small car and everything fits in mine just fine too! The one near where I live is always packed which might deter some people but I go mid week and can get in and out quickly. Costco warned because of high energy costs not sales! If you track the stock, the same stores sales reports have consistently beaten the street estimates. If Costco is having problems, I hate to see what the retailers will report that can't even get customers in the door!

You miss the point of Costco. Their merchandise is top quality. The meats in the butcher shop are much better then in my neighborhood stores. If you look at the produce you will see you pay the same for a bag of items as you would one item in an A&P for instance.

Frankly, I love shopping COSTCO - the stores are clean, the employees are always helpful and friendly, the merchandise is of higher quality than that of SAM's and WALMART... and the return policy is AMAZING!!! I buy the bulk items at Costco and try to do most of my other shopping at Target... It's not worth the extra 2 bucks (if any) to sit in line at Walmart waiting for 30 min to get checked out - or having to wait in line to check yourself out. I'll take the 3 second scan of the receipt (which they do at sam's club too) over the star-port at the front of the "bad-place" (Walmart) - you know what I'm talking about the 6 seconds it takes as you walk through the doors before you realize you're still on planet earth.

One more thing...I read years ago that Costco maintains no more than a 15% markup on items. Also, they will keep an item in stock UNLESS they do not move a set amount of the product per month. So, if they stop carrying a product, it is because not enough people bought it during the month!

COSTCO and BJ's rule - I have teenage boys who eat faster than you can grocery shop, a couple 50 pound bags of purina a day and their good.