6 ms·

Cult following is a good choice of words. It's one of the few businesses where I feel like they get most things right. It's always a good experience going in t

by nickjj 7y ago

Cult following is a good choice of words. It's one of the few businesses where I feel like they get most things right. It's always a good experience going in there and walking out with a cart full of things. I'm happy to see them be successful. I usually buy frozen meats and things that don't expire quickly in bulk and then they last for months. I reserve vegetables and fruits for a local grocery store since their quality is good and those things tend to go fast. But at Costco sometimes you get lucky with clothes too. They were overstocked on Puma sneakers in my exact size. Each pair was $10 and they are exactly the style I like (low cut / not flashy) so I bought 2 pairs of them. I legit walk 3-5 miles a day with one of the pairs and over a year later of walking on concrete they are still fully in tact (no holes, good looking enough to wear them out to dinner, etc.). It's mind boggling. I've never had a pair of sneakers last this long while still looking presentable after that much usage. The 2nd pair I bought is still brand new. Those sneakers alone cover the cost of like 2-3 years worth of membership fees.

labster 7y ago
Costco has better quality meat than the grocery stores -- although I don't find their prime grade meats to be significantly better than the choice cuts. The vegetables and fruits are high quality too, but I live with enough people to make it worthwhile. I live across the street from a grocery store. Over the last 30 years, I've seen it transformed from a slightly upscale supermarket to a glorified mini-market. After every remodeling or floor space expansion, the selection and service would get a little worse. Now that Albertsons bought all of the supermarkets in the area they've significantly cut the quality in the last bastions of why I would shop there at all -- produce and bakery. They do have a large enough alcohol section that I get to see shoplifters running out of the store all the time. So now I'm driving ten miles to Costco to get quality ingredients when I live across the street from a supermarket. The clerks read their script, "Did you find everything you need?" and I respond, "Well, I didn't find X and Y." Their response: "Oh." And people wonder why they're all losing ground to big box stores. In retail you can compete on service, selection, and/or prices. Fry's Electronics chose the last two, but were undercut on both by Amazon. Local supermarkets seem to have yielded on all three to Costco which is freaking crazy.
- zifnab06 7y ago
  I can't tell if Safeway has gotten worse or if I've just been shopping at the expensive organic place for too long. I can go buy produce from Safeway on a Sunday, and have it be molding by Wednesday. And not even stuff that goes bad quickly (like, peaches mid summer are amazing but they're very fresh/ripe and will go bad in a few days). Apples. Potatoes. Onions. Things that, when fresh, last for months if kept in a cool dark place.
  - labster 7y ago
    I have a Vons, they became pretty similar to sister brand Safeway in the past decade. It's definitely worse produce now. Organic used to be things with more damage from insects and such, and have a shorter shelf life. Now it's food that costs more, so it has higher quality.
  - parrellel 7y ago
    You aren't hallucinating, the quality of Safeway produce is and is increasingly shit. Last time I was in one, they had a pile of moldy ginger, and I have no idea how they managed it.
    - zifnab06 7y ago
      I spent a bit of time earlier trying to figure out who owned what in Seattle earlier. What I got out of it: * QFC/Fred Meyer are owned by Kroger * Safeway/Albertsons are owned by a capital management company (Cerberus) * PCC, Red Apple, Town and Country, and Metro Market are local. * UNFI owns SuperValu, which is the main distributor for Whole Foods / IGA / possibly some others in the 'local' list. The depressing part of this: most of grocery stores in the area are owned by 3 companies. And they've all turned into a complete garbage race to the bottom "what's the minimum quality we can sell and still consider food".
- wil421 7y ago
  I disagree about the meat. Publix has much better quality chicken and pork, especially their Greenwise brand. Costco chicken is freakishly big, even compared to Tyson or Purdue at Kroger. I used to find weird spots on the chicken breast and thighs I haven’t seen elsewhere. The chicken is tougher as well. The wild seafood is great. Choice Beef is the same as anywhere and I have no complaints. Prime beef is a great option but I rarely buy it.
sjg007 7y ago
One life hack tip I got was that if you really like a pair of shoes (e.g. a daily driver), then you should always buy two pairs and alternate wearing them.
- RandomBacon 7y ago
  The big shoe brands constant change their lines to support just this. It's not a hack, it's an intended consumer response by the manufacturer.
  - 1123581321 7y ago
    I am not sure if I understand your first sentence. Regarding the second, no, they encourage wearing out shoes quickly and repurchasing often or purchasing many pairs. Two pairs purchased to alternate is something done to maximize longevity, so in the long run it is cheaper than buying one pair and wearing it daily. It is in a shoe repair shop’s interest, though, and that’s where I first heard the tip.
    - RandomBacon 7y ago
      I misunderstood the original comment. The person was posting a strategy to keep shoes from wearing out too quickly. So you're right, my comment does not make sense, sorry. Yes, shoe companies generally want people to wear out their shoes quickly to sell more shoes, and they also change up the models offered so that when a serious runner sees their shoe is no longer going to be offered, they buy up as many as possible.
      - 1123581321 7y ago
        I see! No worries. I understand what you’re saying about changing lines/models now and I do agree this happens. I experienced this recently when attempting to replace some 2017 Merells. Even Walmart does it with their cheap yard shoes, I suspect.
rantwasp 7y ago
it's called the Church of Costco :) seriously now, the gas is at least 30 cents cheaper than anything around, I love the prime beef, organic chicken, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, vitamins and paper towels - it's top quality. on top of that stack the food court and the rotisserie chicken, travel + tires and the insane credit card benefits and you've got yourself a customer for life.

by nickjj 7y ago

labster 7y ago

Costco has better quality meat than the grocery stores -- although I don't find their prime grade meats to be significantly better than the choice cuts. The vegetables and fruits are high quality too, but I live with enough people to make it worthwhile. I live across the street from a grocery store. Over the last 30 years, I've seen it transformed from a slightly upscale supermarket to a glorified mini-market. After every remodeling or floor space expansion, the selection and service would get a little worse. Now that Albertsons bought all of the supermarkets in the area they've significantly cut the quality in the last bastions of why I would shop there at all -- produce and bakery. They do have a large enough alcohol section that I get to see shoplifters running out of the store all the time. So now I'm driving ten miles to Costco to get quality ingredients when I live across the street from a supermarket. The clerks read their script, "Did you find everything you need?" and I respond, "Well, I didn't find X and Y." Their response: "Oh." And people wonder why they're all losing ground to big box stores. In retail you can compete on service, selection, and/or prices. Fry's Electronics chose the last two, but were undercut on both by Amazon. Local supermarkets seem to have yielded on all three to Costco which is freaking crazy.

zifnab06 7y ago
I can't tell if Safeway has gotten worse or if I've just been shopping at the expensive organic place for too long. I can go buy produce from Safeway on a Sunday, and have it be molding by Wednesday. And not even stuff that goes bad quickly (like, peaches mid summer are amazing but they're very fresh/ripe and will go bad in a few days). Apples. Potatoes. Onions. Things that, when fresh, last for months if kept in a cool dark place.
- labster 7y ago
  I have a Vons, they became pretty similar to sister brand Safeway in the past decade. It's definitely worse produce now. Organic used to be things with more damage from insects and such, and have a shorter shelf life. Now it's food that costs more, so it has higher quality.
- parrellel 7y ago
  You aren't hallucinating, the quality of Safeway produce is and is increasingly shit. Last time I was in one, they had a pile of moldy ginger, and I have no idea how they managed it.
  - zifnab06 7y ago
    I spent a bit of time earlier trying to figure out who owned what in Seattle earlier. What I got out of it: * QFC/Fred Meyer are owned by Kroger * Safeway/Albertsons are owned by a capital management company (Cerberus) * PCC, Red Apple, Town and Country, and Metro Market are local. * UNFI owns SuperValu, which is the main distributor for Whole Foods / IGA / possibly some others in the 'local' list. The depressing part of this: most of grocery stores in the area are owned by 3 companies. And they've all turned into a complete garbage race to the bottom "what's the minimum quality we can sell and still consider food".
wil421 7y ago
I disagree about the meat. Publix has much better quality chicken and pork, especially their Greenwise brand. Costco chicken is freakishly big, even compared to Tyson or Purdue at Kroger. I used to find weird spots on the chicken breast and thighs I haven’t seen elsewhere. The chicken is tougher as well. The wild seafood is great. Choice Beef is the same as anywhere and I have no complaints. Prime beef is a great option but I rarely buy it.

sjg007 7y ago

One life hack tip I got was that if you really like a pair of shoes (e.g. a daily driver), then you should always buy two pairs and alternate wearing them.

RandomBacon 7y ago
The big shoe brands constant change their lines to support just this. It's not a hack, it's an intended consumer response by the manufacturer.
- 1123581321 7y ago
  I am not sure if I understand your first sentence. Regarding the second, no, they encourage wearing out shoes quickly and repurchasing often or purchasing many pairs. Two pairs purchased to alternate is something done to maximize longevity, so in the long run it is cheaper than buying one pair and wearing it daily. It is in a shoe repair shop’s interest, though, and that’s where I first heard the tip.
  - RandomBacon 7y ago
    I misunderstood the original comment. The person was posting a strategy to keep shoes from wearing out too quickly. So you're right, my comment does not make sense, sorry. Yes, shoe companies generally want people to wear out their shoes quickly to sell more shoes, and they also change up the models offered so that when a serious runner sees their shoe is no longer going to be offered, they buy up as many as possible.
    - 1123581321 7y ago
      I see! No worries. I understand what you’re saying about changing lines/models now and I do agree this happens. I experienced this recently when attempting to replace some 2017 Merells. Even Walmart does it with their cheap yard shoes, I suspect.

rantwasp 7y ago

it's called the Church of Costco :) seriously now, the gas is at least 30 cents cheaper than anything around, I love the prime beef, organic chicken, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, macadamia nuts, vitamins and paper towels - it's top quality. on top of that stack the food court and the rotisserie chicken, travel + tires and the insane credit card benefits and you've got yourself a customer for life.