Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Costco shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Costco offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Costco at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Costco? Wrong! If the Costco is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Costco then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Costco? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Costco and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Costco wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Costco then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Costco site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Costco, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Costco, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{Infobox_Company | company_name = Costco Wholesale Corporation | company_logo = ]| company_type = [Public company ({{nasdaq|COST-->)| company_slogan = | industry = [Retailer| foundation = [Seattle, Washington| location = {{flagicon|USA--> [Issaquah, Washington| key_people = [James Sinegal, Founder & [Chief Executive Officer
[Jeffrey Brotman, Founder & [Chairman
[Richard Galanti, [CFO
[Dick DiCerchio, [COO| num_employees = 132,000| revenue = $60.2 billion [United States dollar (2006)| products = [Retail (Specialty)
Private Label - Kirkland Signature| homepage = http://www.costco.com/ Costco U.S.
http://www.costco.ca/ Costco Canada -->

Costco Wholesale Corporation () is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume, headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, United States,http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-shareholder with its flagship warehouse in nearby Seattle, Washington.http://www.costco.co.jp/eng/costco.htm Costco's Canadian operations are based in Ottawa, Ontario, and British Columbia.http://www.costco.ca/Service/FeaturePageLeftNav.aspx?ProductNo=10045080&lang=en-CA

History Founded by James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman, Costco opened its first warehouse in Seattle, Washington, on September 15, 1983.http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductSet.aspx?Prodid=24743&whse=&topnav=&browse Sinegal had started in retailing by working for Sol Price at both FedMart and Price Club. Brotman, an Attorney at law from an old Seattle retailing family, had also been involved in retailing from an early age.

In 1993, Costco merged with Price Club. Costco’s business model and size were similar to those of Price Club, which was founded by Sol and Robert Price in 1976 in San Diego, California.http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/83/83830/HistoricalHighlights.pdf Thus, the combined company, PriceCostco, was effectively double the size of each of its parents. Just after the merger, PriceCostco had 206 locations generating $16 billion in annual sales. PriceCostco was initially led by executives from both companies, but then Sol and his son Robert Price founded Price Enterprises and left in 1994.

In 1997, the company changed its name to Costco Wholesale.http://www.costco.com/Membership/MembershipPopup.aspx

Costco today The main competitor in the membership warehouse space is Sam's Club. Although Sam's Club has more warehouseshttp://pressroom.samsclub.com/content/?id=3 than Costco, Costco has higher total sales volume.http://www.hoovers.com/sam%27s-club/--ID__56161--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Costco employs about 132,000 full- and part-time employees,http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-homeprofile including seasonal workers, and for fiscal year 2006, ended on September 3, 2006, the company's store sales totaled $60.2 billion of which $1.1 billion was net profit.http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0704/gallery.500top50.fortune/32.html Costco is #32 on the Fortune 500..As of October 18, 2007, Costco has 520 locations.



In the United States, Costco is closed on the following holidays (most other major retailers stay open on all of these dates except Thanksgiving and Christmas):



Other retail formats Costco currently operates two other retail formats, a home furnishings concept known as "Costco Home," and a strictly business operation known as "Costco Business Center."

There are currently two Costco Home locations (Washington State & Arizona, both in former HomeBase warehouse stores) with plans for a third on the west coast. Costco membership is required, and hours of operation are identical to that of regular Costco warehouses.

There are a handful of Business Centers, all of which offer delivery via a private fleet of trucks. Some locations have a retail selling floor open to Costco members who wish to shop in person, while others are strictly delivery only.

Plans for Costco Fresh, a gourmet supermarket, were abandoned in 2004.

Sales model Costco focuses on selling products at low prices, often at very high volume. These goods are usually bulk-packaged and marketed primarily to large families and businesses. Furthermore, Costco does not carry multiple brands or varieties where the item is essentially the same. This results in high volume of sales from single vendor, allowing further reduction in price, and reducing marketing costs. Costco also saves money by not stocking extra bags or packing materials; to carry out their goods, customers must bring their own bags or use the merchandise shipping boxes from the company's outside vendors.

Currently membership fees at Costco are $50 per year for Goldstar and Business Memberships, which can be upgraded to Executive membership for an additional $50 per year. Along with the additional benefits the executive membership has (e.g. car purchasing savings, home loans, car insurance, check printing services) executive members also receive an annual "2% Rewards Check" from Costco on all purchases made (excluding gasoline and tobacco).

Costco is only open to members and their guests, except for purchases of liquor and gasoline in some U.S. states due to state law; and prescription drugs due to federal law. Memberships must be purchased in advance for one year (as of May 5, 2007). Purchases made at Costco's website do not require a membership; however, a 5% surcharge is added to purchases made by non-members. Purchases made with Costco Cash Cards also do not require a membership, and there is no surcharge. United States Costco locations only accept American Express (not in the UK and only Samsung credit cards in South Korea), PIN-based debit cards (Interac in Canada), cash, and checks. Guests of members are not allowed to write checks.

Lighting costs are reduced on sunny days, as most Costco locations have several skylights. During the day, electronic light meters measure how much light is coming in the skylights and turn off an appropriate percentage of the interior lights. During a typical sunny day, it is very common for the center section of the warehouse to have no interior lights burning.

Most products are delivered to the store on shipping pallets, and the pallets are used to display products for sale on the retail floor. This contrasts with other retailers that break down pallets and stock individual products on shelves. Costco caps its profit margin on most products at 14% or 15%, but generally limits price markup on products from 8%-10%.

Most Costco locations have either a Food Court or a Hot Dog Cart. Both offer a quarter-pound kosher hot dog and drink for $1.50, the same price as when (pre-merger) Costco opened in 1983.

Costco Cash Cards Costco Cash Cards can be purchased in the warehouse and members can load them with money to make non-cash purchases at all Costco warehouses in the United States. Because Costco gas stations take only Costco Cash, debit cards, and American Express, people who can only pay for gas by check or cash must purchase a Costco Cash Card inside the actual Costco building before filling up.

Products Over the years, Costco has gradually expanded its range of products and services. Initially it preferred to sell only boxed products that could be dispensed by simply tearing the shrinkwrap off a pallet. It now sells many other products that are more difficult to handle, such as fresh produce, meat, dairy, seafood, fresh Baking, flowers, clothing, books, software, electronics, jewelry, art, hot tubs, and furniture. Many stores have tire Automobile repair shop, Pharmacy, hearing aid centers, Optometry, photographic processing, and gas stations. Optometrists working at Costco locations will see patients without Costco memberships. However to fill precriptions through the optical department, membership is required. (Occasionally Costco employees will not be aware of the optometrists' status and initially deny entry to non-members, however after verifying with management will allow them access to the optometrist office.)

Some locations have liquor stores, often kept separate in order to comply with liquor license restrictions. In some states (such as Texas), the liquor store must be owned and operated by a separate company with separate employees. In 2006, Costco won a court decision against the state of Washington allowing it to purchase wine directly from the producer, bypassing the Alcoholic beverage control state.

Costco also acts as an investment broker and travel agent. They have also introduced an automobile purchasing program where members can purchase new cars at specially arranged prices. They also have an agreement with Ameriprise Financial for auto and home insurance.

In 2004 Costco offered a (single) original artwork by artist Pablo Picasso on their online store.

Kirkland Signature Kirkland Signature is Costco's store brand, otherwise known in the retail industry as an "own-brand". It is found exclusively at Costco stores and is trademarked by the company. The name derives from the fact that Costco's corporate headquarters were located in the city of Kirkland, Washington, between 1987 and 1996.

Costco introduced Kirkland Signature as its house brand in 1995. The idea was to identify categories in which a private label product could provide brand name quality at discounted prices.

To counteract the consumer confidence problem common in store branding, Kirkland Signature sometimes relies on co-branding. According to Costco, while consumers may be wary of same-store-branding, they are less likely to be wary of brands that they are familiar with and trust.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_23_44/ai_n15969670

Wine On September 14, 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it inked a partnership with E & J Gallo Winery to produce a wine brand with label "Martha Stewart Vintage" (for sale in 6 cities, January, at $15). 15,000 cases to be sold include: 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay, 2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Sonoma County Merlot (for Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Phoenix, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon). Martha Stewart also signed contract with Costco Wholesale Corp. to offer frozen and fresh food (label - Kirkland Signature). Yahoo.com, Martha Stewart to sell signature wine

Trivia

Working at Costco While some former Price Club locations in California and the northeastern United States are staffed by Teamsters, the majority of Costco locations are not unionized. The non-union locations have revisions to their Costco Employee Agreement every three years concurrent with union contract ratifications in locations with collective bargaining agreements. Similar to a union contract, the Employee Agreement sets forth such things such as benefits, compensations, wages, disciplinary procedures, paid holidays, bonuses, and seniority. As of March 2007, non-supervisory hourly wages range from $11.00 to $19.50.

Product-demonstration (e.g., food samples) employees are employed by an outside company.In the western USA, the company is called Warehouse Demo Services, Kirkland WAhttp://wdsdemos.com/. Costco also uses Club Demonstration Services, based in San Diego, California. http://www.clubdemo.com/About_Us.htm.

See also

External links

References {{Infobox_Company | company_name = Costco Wholesale Corporation | company_logo = ]| company_type = [Public company ({{nasdaq|COST-->)| company_slogan = | industry = [Retailer| foundation = [Seattle, Washington| location = {{flagicon|USA--> [Issaquah, Washington| key_people = [James Sinegal, Founder & [Chief Executive Officer
[Jeffrey Brotman, Founder & [Chairman
[Richard Galanti, [CFO
[Dick DiCerchio, [COO| num_employees = 132,000| revenue = $60.2 billion [United States dollar (2006)| products = [Retail (Specialty)
Private Label - Kirkland Signature| homepage = http://www.costco.com/ Costco U.S.
http://www.costco.ca/ Costco Canada -->

Costco Wholesale Corporation () is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume, headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, United States,http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-shareholder with its flagship warehouse in nearby Seattle, Washington.http://www.costco.co.jp/eng/costco.htm Costco's Canadian operations are based in Ottawa, Ontario, and British Columbia.http://www.costco.ca/Service/FeaturePageLeftNav.aspx?ProductNo=10045080&lang=en-CA

History Founded by James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman, Costco opened its first warehouse in Seattle, Washington, on September 15, 1983.http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductSet.aspx?Prodid=24743&whse=&topnav=&browse Sinegal had started in retailing by working for Sol Price at both FedMart and Price Club. Brotman, an Attorney at law from an old Seattle retailing family, had also been involved in retailing from an early age.

In 1993, Costco merged with Price Club. Costco’s business model and size were similar to those of Price Club, which was founded by Sol and Robert Price in 1976 in San Diego, California.http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/83/83830/HistoricalHighlights.pdf Thus, the combined company, PriceCostco, was effectively double the size of each of its parents. Just after the merger, PriceCostco had 206 locations generating $16 billion in annual sales. PriceCostco was initially led by executives from both companies, but then Sol and his son Robert Price founded Price Enterprises and left in 1994.

In 1997, the company changed its name to Costco Wholesale.http://www.costco.com/Membership/MembershipPopup.aspx

Costco today The main competitor in the membership warehouse space is Sam's Club. Although Sam's Club has more warehouseshttp://pressroom.samsclub.com/content/?id=3 than Costco, Costco has higher total sales volume.http://www.hoovers.com/sam%27s-club/--ID__56161--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Costco employs about 132,000 full- and part-time employees,http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&p=irol-homeprofile including seasonal workers, and for fiscal year 2006, ended on September 3, 2006, the company's store sales totaled $60.2 billion of which $1.1 billion was net profit.http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0704/gallery.500top50.fortune/32.html Costco is #32 on the Fortune 500..As of October 18, 2007, Costco has 520 locations.



In the United States, Costco is closed on the following holidays (most other major retailers stay open on all of these dates except Thanksgiving and Christmas):



Other retail formats Costco currently operates two other retail formats, a home furnishings concept known as "Costco Home," and a strictly business operation known as "Costco Business Center."

There are currently two Costco Home locations (Washington State & Arizona, both in former HomeBase warehouse stores) with plans for a third on the west coast. Costco membership is required, and hours of operation are identical to that of regular Costco warehouses.

There are a handful of Business Centers, all of which offer delivery via a private fleet of trucks. Some locations have a retail selling floor open to Costco members who wish to shop in person, while others are strictly delivery only.

Plans for Costco Fresh, a gourmet supermarket, were abandoned in 2004.

Sales model Costco focuses on selling products at low prices, often at very high volume. These goods are usually bulk-packaged and marketed primarily to large families and businesses. Furthermore, Costco does not carry multiple brands or varieties where the item is essentially the same. This results in high volume of sales from single vendor, allowing further reduction in price, and reducing marketing costs. Costco also saves money by not stocking extra bags or packing materials; to carry out their goods, customers must bring their own bags or use the merchandise shipping boxes from the company's outside vendors.

Currently membership fees at Costco are $50 per year for Goldstar and Business Memberships, which can be upgraded to Executive membership for an additional $50 per year. Along with the additional benefits the executive membership has (e.g. car purchasing savings, home loans, car insurance, check printing services) executive members also receive an annual "2% Rewards Check" from Costco on all purchases made (excluding gasoline and tobacco).

Costco is only open to members and their guests, except for purchases of liquor and gasoline in some U.S. states due to state law; and prescription drugs due to federal law. Memberships must be purchased in advance for one year (as of May 5, 2007). Purchases made at Costco's website do not require a membership; however, a 5% surcharge is added to purchases made by non-members. Purchases made with Costco Cash Cards also do not require a membership, and there is no surcharge. United States Costco locations only accept American Express (not in the UK and only Samsung credit cards in South Korea), PIN-based debit cards (Interac in Canada), cash, and checks. Guests of members are not allowed to write checks.

Lighting costs are reduced on sunny days, as most Costco locations have several skylights. During the day, electronic light meters measure how much light is coming in the skylights and turn off an appropriate percentage of the interior lights. During a typical sunny day, it is very common for the center section of the warehouse to have no interior lights burning.

Most products are delivered to the store on shipping pallets, and the pallets are used to display products for sale on the retail floor. This contrasts with other retailers that break down pallets and stock individual products on shelves. Costco caps its profit margin on most products at 14% or 15%, but generally limits price markup on products from 8%-10%.

Most Costco locations have either a Food Court or a Hot Dog Cart. Both offer a quarter-pound kosher hot dog and drink for $1.50, the same price as when (pre-merger) Costco opened in 1983.

Costco Cash Cards Costco Cash Cards can be purchased in the warehouse and members can load them with money to make non-cash purchases at all Costco warehouses in the United States. Because Costco gas stations take only Costco Cash, debit cards, and American Express, people who can only pay for gas by check or cash must purchase a Costco Cash Card inside the actual Costco building before filling up.

Products Over the years, Costco has gradually expanded its range of products and services. Initially it preferred to sell only boxed products that could be dispensed by simply tearing the shrinkwrap off a pallet. It now sells many other products that are more difficult to handle, such as fresh produce, meat, dairy, seafood, fresh Baking, flowers, clothing, books, software, electronics, jewelry, art, hot tubs, and furniture. Many stores have tire Automobile repair shop, Pharmacy, hearing aid centers, Optometry, photographic processing, and gas stations. Optometrists working at Costco locations will see patients without Costco memberships. However to fill precriptions through the optical department, membership is required. (Occasionally Costco employees will not be aware of the optometrists' status and initially deny entry to non-members, however after verifying with management will allow them access to the optometrist office.)

Some locations have liquor stores, often kept separate in order to comply with liquor license restrictions. In some states (such as Texas), the liquor store must be owned and operated by a separate company with separate employees. In 2006, Costco won a court decision against the state of Washington allowing it to purchase wine directly from the producer, bypassing the Alcoholic beverage control state.

Costco also acts as an investment broker and travel agent. They have also introduced an automobile purchasing program where members can purchase new cars at specially arranged prices. They also have an agreement with Ameriprise Financial for auto and home insurance.

In 2004 Costco offered a (single) original artwork by artist Pablo Picasso on their online store.

Kirkland Signature Kirkland Signature is Costco's store brand, otherwise known in the retail industry as an "own-brand". It is found exclusively at Costco stores and is trademarked by the company. The name derives from the fact that Costco's corporate headquarters were located in the city of Kirkland, Washington, between 1987 and 1996.

Costco introduced Kirkland Signature as its house brand in 1995. The idea was to identify categories in which a private label product could provide brand name quality at discounted prices.

To counteract the consumer confidence problem common in store branding, Kirkland Signature sometimes relies on co-branding. According to Costco, while consumers may be wary of same-store-branding, they are less likely to be wary of brands that they are familiar with and trust.http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_23_44/ai_n15969670

Wine On September 14, 2007, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it inked a partnership with E & J Gallo Winery to produce a wine brand with label "Martha Stewart Vintage" (for sale in 6 cities, January, at $15). 15,000 cases to be sold include: 2006 Sonoma County Chardonnay, 2005 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Sonoma County Merlot (for Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Denver, Phoenix, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon). Martha Stewart also signed contract with Costco Wholesale Corp. to offer frozen and fresh food (label - Kirkland Signature). Yahoo.com, Martha Stewart to sell signature wine

Trivia

Working at Costco While some former Price Club locations in California and the northeastern United States are staffed by Teamsters, the majority of Costco locations are not unionized. The non-union locations have revisions to their Costco Employee Agreement every three years concurrent with union contract ratifications in locations with collective bargaining agreements. Similar to a union contract, the Employee Agreement sets forth such things such as benefits, compensations, wages, disciplinary procedures, paid holidays, bonuses, and seniority. As of March 2007, non-supervisory hourly wages range from $11.00 to $19.50.

Product-demonstration (e.g., food samples) employees are employed by an outside company.In the western USA, the company is called Warehouse Demo Services, Kirkland WAhttp://wdsdemos.com/. Costco also uses Club Demonstration Services, based in San Diego, California. http://www.clubdemo.com/About_Us.htm.

See also

External links

References

Costco Wholesale UK Limited
Privacy Statement ® Costco Wholesale UK Ltd, UK Home Office Hartspring Lane, Watford, Herts WD25 8JS Registered No. 2635489

Costco
The History of Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation began operations in 1983 in Seattle, Washington. In October 1993, Costco merged with The Price Company, which had pioneered the ...

Costco.com: Offering thousands of items you won’t find in your local ...
US retailer of brand name and private label products. Employment, investment information, product notices, membership requirements, store locator, and online order delivery ...

Costco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:  COST) is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the world based on sales volume, headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, United ...

Costco.com: Offering thousands of items you won’t find in your local ...
Costco Wholesale operates an international chain of membership warehouses, carrying brand name merchandise at substantially lower prices than typical retail.

Costco.ca: Offering thousands of items you won’t find in your local ...
Costco Wholesale operates an international chain of membership warehouses, carrying brand name merchandise at substantially lower prices than typical retail.

COST: Summary for COSTCO WHOLESALE C - Yahoo! Finance
Get detailed information on COSTCO WHOLESALE C (COST) including quote performance, Real-Time ECN, technical chart analysis, key stats, insider transactions, and the latest company ...

costco - Price Comparison and consumer reviews at Ciao
costco - Find products, read useful reviews and compare prices on Ciao. ... The Brand Promise: How Ketel One, Costco, Make-A-Wish, Tourism Vancouver, and Other Leading Brands Make ...

Costco www.costco.com Review in Online All-In-One Stores at Review ...
Read Trusted and Unbiased reviews of Costco www.costco.com in Online All-In-One Stores Compare Costco www.costco.com in Online Shop Reviews at Review Centre.

GreenPark - Costco
GreenPark Business Park: A quality business park development of around 70 hectares/180 acres, with planning permission to accommodate a working community of around 7,000 people in ...

 

Costco



 
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