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The worst part about this for me is that the Costco parking lot is already a cluster without having to add in the "show off my car to my brother in law" game to

The worst part about this for me is that the Costco parking lot is already a cluster without having to add in the "show off my car to my brother in law" game to the mix. I avoid Costco like the plague because the experience is always bad for my mental health. I'd rather pay a few extra bucks to avoid oblivious giant cart drivers, having to show multiple forms of ID , having my receipt validated before I can leave, having to figure out how to transport stuff to and from car, etc. Plus, there is no consistency in the non-grocery inventory. You're forced into the "we _have_ to buy these pans today because we never know when they'll be available again!" psychological trap. It's just a very inconvenient shopping experience in my opinion. But I know I'm the only person in America who feels this way.

AtlasBarfed 5y ago
I wouldn't disagree with your experience complaint, but Costco exists precisely because it doesn't care about the "shopping experience". If you go to Costco, you forgo the right to complain about the "shopping experience" because you are explicitly choosing something with a bad one in exchange for very cheap goods. Walmart and Target: slightly better experience, slightly more expensive. Supermarkets and Malls: better experience, more expensive So I guess, you aren't the only person in America, but people make the choice to accept the burden for the price savings.
- CrazyStat 5y ago
  Odd, I've always considered Costco to have one of the best shopping experiences. Stuff on the shelves, I go find what I want and check out. I generally hate supermarkets and malls. Annoying music, questionable `sales` pushed on aisle end caps and elsewhere, etc. Not the experience I'm after.
- sizzle 5y ago
  Walmart parking lots are equally busy and hard to navigate in my experience
  - loonster 5y ago
    Depends on the Costco. The one near me put the main entrance to the parking lot next to the store entrance. The Walmart near me has the main entrance to the parking lot at the opposite end of the store. There is also a long protected cart path going down the parking lot. The Costco on the other side of town is almost as good as the Walmart.
- HomeDeLaPot 5y ago
  My Walmart is awful compared to the Costco. Messy shelves and aisles, carts that clank and clatter. Costco is neater, the employees are friendlier and more helpful... like the two stores have two different cultures. And I appreciate that Costco usually has just one good option—it simplifies things, and it's great when they happen to stock something I've been thinking about buying. I just bought a folding wagon that's bigger and beefier than the Amazon ones for the same price. My experience has been that Costco provides a better shopping experience than Walmart, in the same league as Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.

AtlasBarfed 5y ago

I wouldn't disagree with your experience complaint, but Costco exists precisely because it doesn't care about the "shopping experience". If you go to Costco, you forgo the right to complain about the "shopping experience" because you are explicitly choosing something with a bad one in exchange for very cheap goods. Walmart and Target: slightly better experience, slightly more expensive. Supermarkets and Malls: better experience, more expensive So I guess, you aren't the only person in America, but people make the choice to accept the burden for the price savings.

CrazyStat 5y ago
Odd, I've always considered Costco to have one of the best shopping experiences. Stuff on the shelves, I go find what I want and check out. I generally hate supermarkets and malls. Annoying music, questionable `sales` pushed on aisle end caps and elsewhere, etc. Not the experience I'm after.
sizzle 5y ago
Walmart parking lots are equally busy and hard to navigate in my experience
- loonster 5y ago
  Depends on the Costco. The one near me put the main entrance to the parking lot next to the store entrance. The Walmart near me has the main entrance to the parking lot at the opposite end of the store. There is also a long protected cart path going down the parking lot. The Costco on the other side of town is almost as good as the Walmart.
HomeDeLaPot 5y ago
My Walmart is awful compared to the Costco. Messy shelves and aisles, carts that clank and clatter. Costco is neater, the employees are friendlier and more helpful... like the two stores have two different cultures. And I appreciate that Costco usually has just one good option—it simplifies things, and it's great when they happen to stock something I've been thinking about buying. I just bought a folding wagon that's bigger and beefier than the Amazon ones for the same price. My experience has been that Costco provides a better shopping experience than Walmart, in the same league as Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.