@iced wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Wal-Mart anything is a hard NO from me. Maybe Sam's is better, but I can't shake the notion of all the low quality items I see there.
Costco sells quality, pays their employees well, treats their customers right, and stands behind their products. Kirkland for life! LOL.
There is a reason Sam's is in deep trouble and Costco is taking over.
I'm not a Wal-Mart fan either, but we can't exactly say they're in trouble when they're still the largest employer of people in 22 states and 7 members of the Walton family are billionaires.
Can't say I've ever set foot in a Costco and the last time I was in a Sam's was 1996. I thought they were just budget warehouses where people can buy a forklift palette of toilet paper instead of a 6-pack. Has something changed or am I missing something that makes these places appealing?
I was curious about the topic and had been doing some reading online before that last post. I don't think Wal-Mart as a whole is in trouble, but Sam's has closed/is closing a considerable amount of stores across the country. Some articles cite their problems as having never developed a GOOD store brand (i.e. Costco's Kirkland) and also the fact that their business model has them competing against themselves (their Wal-Mart stores.) There is also a direct correlation to the stores that are closing and whether or not there is a Costco nearby.
The appeal beyond the bulk household goods you've mentioned are Pharmacy items, Automotive, Electronics, Optical Liquor, and Clothing which have AMAZING deals. I'm not ashamed to admit that my wardrobe probably consists of at least 50% of items sourced at Costco that are all brand name, and just about never over $20-$30 per item (sometimes less.)
Stocking up on the household essentials you mentioned is huge for me. Compared to what toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap, etc. costs at a Duane Reade in Manhattan, it is unbelievably cheap at a warehouse store. When I first moved to the city 10 years ago, I was able to justify the cost of keeping my car (payment, insurance, and I even had a garage at the time) with the savings of buying everything I could in NJ. I actually saved money owning a car so long as I was diligent about this and Costco was a big part of that. I'll tell you though that I had to get creative storing that stuff in a 295 sq ft Manhattan studio, but I did and managed to not have the place look like a warehouse!
