We are going to be getting a Costco in our area and having never been in one I wondered if any of you have experienced both. If so- how do they compare in your opinion?

 

I have had memberships to both and I find Costco too busy with nowhere near enough cashiers to handle the crowd. Plus all of the people that come and eat their meals at the sample carts drive me nuts. BJ's FTW!

 

I don't have a clue what BJs is except for the restaurant chain in California. It's a good place to go eat I know that much. I am a very loyal Costco fan and have spent many dollars there including today. I've been in Costcos in many states and they're all different. The closest Costco to me is in Fort Collins but today I went to one in Thornton, on my way home from Colorado Springs. It was much more crowded than the one in Fort Collins. The Fort Collins one is lovely. People are super friendly and they were even the night before Thanksgiving, and it's never a madhouse. The ones in southern California are really hard to deal with, super crowded and filled with annoying people.

 

Here is my two cents (FWIIW):

Like Patricia, I am a loyal Costco fan for the following reasons:

• If you get the Costco Visa Card from Citi there is no annual fee (besides what ever level of Costco membership that you join) It lets you earn cash rewards in the following categories:
  • 4% back on eligible gas worldwide, including Costco (up to the first $7,000 per year).
  • 3% back on restaurants
  • 2% back on purchased at Costco and Costco.com
  • 1% back on all other purchases where Visa is accepted.
• When Costco sends you your year end reward certificate one can either use it in the warehouse or take it to the warehouse and they will give you the full cash value in CASH. (As of my last statement $478.50 so far this year)
• Although Costco only sells 87 Octane and 93 Octane (on the East Coast) gas it is a TOP Tier gasoline (BJ's is not.
• When one needs tires for a vehicle the savings will more than pay for your membership fee. I had been paying $800 a set for tires for the S-2000. Now that Costco sells Bridgestone tires I can order RE-71's when they have their sale about every other month and get $110 off per set. Additionally, a couple of times a year they run a one cent per tire installation sale which includes, disposal of your old tires, mounting, balancing, filling them with nitrogen (not air), life time flat repair, and balancing as well as a road hazard warranty, The last set cost me $650 out the door.
• The icing on the cake that really endeared Costco to me happened about two years ago. I received a letter from Costco (which I thought was unusual). It read something like this: "Our records indicate that you purchase a jar of our Cashew nuts recently, and it has come to our attention that they may not have met our freshness standards so please accept this refund check for the purchase price! This was totally unsolicited on my part. I did not notice an issue with them.

According to a documentary that MSNBC did a few years ago, Costco only marks up their products in their stores a maximum of Cost + fifteen percent. Any savvy business owner knows that just covers the cost of doing business. Costco makes it's profit on it's membership fees. I am also a big fan of their Kirkland (in-house) brand of products which they guarantee your satisfaction with or your money back. In fact, I discovered their Kirkland brand of vodka several years ago. A 1.75 Liter bottle cost only $12.99 + Tax and is distilled six times and produced in California. When I first discovered it I took a bottle to the Moose Lodge that I use to go to (before I resigned over some administrative issues) and had the bar tender blind taste it with several friends that I knew there. Every single one of them thought that it was either Belvedere or Grey Goose vodka, both of which sell for about four times the price here in Virginia.

A few years ago BJ's sent me a guest pass and I went to a local one which is about the same distance away as our closest Costco and I was not impressed enough to join. However I will agree with David about how crowded they can get. I don't know if this is still true but as of a few years ago the Costco warehouse (#204) in Fairfax was the highest grossing store in the country. I found the key is go their during the dinner hours during the week, around 6:30 or so.

I do not know about in NY State but here in Virginia one does NOT have to be a Costco member to purchased prescription drugs at the Costco pharmacy, as that is against the law here.

 

I agree about the food carts thing, they (shoppers) all parked their cart right in the middle of the isle so no one can get through....I try to schedule my shopping while football is on.

 

I forgot about the two checks I get in February. I usually average $600 or more.

 

I agree! I have been saying for several years now if one wants to understand why traffic is so screwed up, all one has to do is go to Costco or any other market with shopping carts and it becomes VERY apparent how oblivious people are to their surroundings! Furthermore, over the last few years it has gotten even more frustrating for a reason that I have NOT been able to understand. To my feeble little mind they put the handle on the back end of a shopping cart to be pushed along by the shopper, not for them to walk along side of it pulling it along and thereby taking up even more of the aisle! Then people make it even worse by walking side by side along side of their cart!

 

^ Twenty four roses I bought today at Costco for $18. They're in the sink just so Maury won't tip over the vase and be a nuisance.



^ He was wearing a Yankee candle bag earlier tonight. Never a dull moment. I cut the handles so he won't get hurt.

 

We belong to both, but much prefer Costco. Aside from all of the advantages already mentioned, we think there is a better selection at Costco and the prices are generally better. Costco is generally more crowded but if you go mid week it's much better.

One of the only reasons we retain our BJs membership is the LP. An LP fillup (bar-b-que size) is $14.99 at least $5 cheaper than other vendors around here. The Costco around here has a gas station but doesn't sell LP. And occasionally BJs has other items on sale, enough to justify keeping the membership.

Lately, now that both sons are out of the house Liz and I do a little less shopping at both Costco and BJs. The quantities are too big for the two of us on perishable items.

 

No idea what BJ is.

I agree with everything above that was not quoted. No idea about pharmacy rules and regs but our pharmacy compares and get us the best price. (We have multiple plans)

The business model is terrific. We have been to Costco across the state, across the country, even in Puerto Vallarta. You cannot beat the return policy. We have found that if you see it, need it or want it, better get it before its gone.
BTW, the stock has done great things for my portfolio.

Even if you have to get the "giant" size of something, it is still cheaper than the grocery store. You add the vacuum sealer and freeze the extras, it goes a long way.

Our family's running joke was the display outdoor furniture table on sale. How are we going to get it home? I bought the Snowbear trailer to haul the furniture back!
We still have that table set outside and the Snowbear trailer has been worth it's weight in gold. We have used it for decades.

I have even purchased a vehicle using the Costco discount. Went in, said "Costco", the guy said we are done and it will be here in 2 weeks. Less expensive than all the research I did!