My First Trip to COSTCO

Today was my first trip to COSTCO.  One of the advantages of living in Prince William County is the choice of warehouse shopping. 

I have never been to COSTCO. Everyplace I have lived did not have one.  Of course I read about the company from time to time in various business magazines.

For my Southern friends, it is like a Sam’s Club.  Interesting points, COSTCO started in Washington state, Sam's in Arkansas.   COSTCO's predecessor was Price Club. I vaguely recall reading about Price Club years ago. 

I enjoyed it my first trip. COSTCO was much bigger than I thought it would be. This COSTCO is located in a suburban setting; it is surrounded by green grass and has an attractive entrance.  Of course it has its own traffic light.  It does not have the appearance of a new building built on the outskirts of a mall, in fact it is not close to a mall.

Much to my surprise, COSTCO is the largest membership warehouse chain in the United States. The last count had membership at 55,000,001. Of course just like Sam’s, you cannot get out without paying a lot for a lot of products.  You need really big carts.  In fact, everything is bigger. I am reminded of eating lunch at McDonalds and getting the infamous question, "Can I supersize that for you?" COSTCO is already supersized (see photo at end of post).

Yes, enough toilet paper, tea, and tuna to keep me going for a few weeks.  A box of cereal will last a month. 

As an avid salad consumer, I was very impressed with the quality of the produce and the selection of fruit.  The fresh produce is in a cold room, not on a cold shelf. I suspect that keeps it fresher longer.

These days I do not buy chips, cheese, dip or other foods. Good thing too, I think I would be depressed if I really took the time to figure out exactly what one serving is.  And of course the bags are huge!

To this day I love to see what people buy. Sometimes you can tell when it is a big football weekend or stocking up for a birthday party for a kid.  You can also tell when someone is craving liquids or something salty.  COSTCO offers all kinds of products and services, like smart phones, wide screen TVs, computers, insurance, excercise equipment, office supplies, check printing, etc.  It is mind boggling.  I found the associates very helpful and knowledgeable.  I am looking forward to future trips to the warehouse, perhaps once a month.