Costco Food

I was at the checkout at Costco that opened Saturday on Bardstown Rd. I turned around and the CEO of Costco, Craig Jelinek is right behind me checking out with several items. He had his name tag on so I recognized him. Had a conversation with him while checking out about the new location and shook his hand when I was done checking out. He was very nice. This is a pic of him.

I agree with Steve H., it's a shame Alanna wasn't made better aware of payment options. I guess we all take for granted that most places take all cc, all the time but it has not been THAT long since it wasn't the case. And if they do it to keep prices down on quality merchandise I'm all for it.

I come down on the side that says Costco is one best retailers out there. And their customer service while you're in the store , at least while I was there, was excellent. Ask where something is and someone happily walks you to its location rather than just pointing the direction. Couldn't make my mind up which fan to purchase and without asking, a associate stopped to go over the pluses and negatives of the options they offered. If I were a young cutie pie that might be seen as the reason for all the attention but I'm just some creaky old lady. I love shopping there EXCEPT on weekends. Go during the week for a better experience.

Now that I've had a chance to stew and be aggravated, I decided I probably won't cancel my membership (although I will see if I can change it from executive to regular). When I signed up at the little tent/kiosk place last week they told me that they could only accept Visas, or a debit card with a pin. I used my debit card to pay, but I took them to mean that their little card swiper machine there at the tent only took Visa. They definitely did not tell me that Costco as a whole does not accept other cards.

I worked hard to restore my credit from a bankruptcy a couple of years ago, so I won't be opening a Costco credit card just for the sake of having it to use there. I guess I'll just use my debit card instead of my Discover card that gives me 2% back. It's not my ideal, but I don't want to give up on Costco yet!

The whole issue of only accepting one type of credit card is pretty common in the wholesale store business. As previously mentioned Costco for a long time except it only American Express until recently when they changed to Visa. Sam's since its inception have only accepted Discover cards but I believe they now are accepting some others. Another wholesale club that we don't have the area BJ's only accepted MasterCard last thing I knew. It upsets some people but according to the stores that's one of the reasons they are able to maintain lower prices.

I think they are all beef hot dogs and each one weighs in at close to 1/2 pound. Personally, when I'm jonesing for a hot dog, I do like them very much. Not overly spiced or seasoned, good snap (bite) to the skin, and even better to the ones you can get at a ball park. And the the cost...

The hot dogs from Costco are one thing I do not like. They taste more like sausage to me. Too spicy. (although I do like sausage, but only if I'm trying to eat sausage, not a hot dog!)

In their food court, their frozen yogurt is amazing, though!

Posting this with mixed emotions....
My Costco membership has expired, should I renew? It's only me around here and I little use of most things in bulk. I've purchased the big ticket items I needed through Costco so there seems to be no need for me to renew except for that handful of things I do like getting there. Still, the math says "no".
Someone turned me onto Jet.com. At this time there is no membership fee, no PH for all orders over $35 and it's all delivered to your door. (A bonus for me since I don't like carrying big bulky heavy items up to the third floor.) They seem to have all the same kind of stuff as Costco (including the Kirkland brand) with the added bonus of offering various sized packaging options. They are offering 15% discount on your first three orders. And the more you buy, the cheaper each individual item costs. I looked up info on the company and it seems they are operating at a loss and plan to for their first 5 years. ( I don't find this surprising. I purchased TP at Walmart [hey I was out and they were right next door!] for $5.80 but was able to buy the exact same product, roll size and roll count from Jet.com for $3.15.)
My dilemma? Support a store front and those jobs or buy online cheaper and support the delivery jobs of the USPS, UPS and FedEX.
To add on to the decision it looks as if JET.com has been bought by SAMs.

BTW- No fresh fruits or vegetables and the only fresh meats/seafood is subcontracted out by Omaha Steaks. (So I guess if they offer it you can order it at a discount through JET.com) So that keeps those purchases for me, local.

Thinking about all of the things I buy from Costco, I'd still buy many of those things even if it were only me. It's worth it to me on gifts, paper products, gas/propane and liquor alone. At the end of the year, if you haven't at least saved your membership cost, you can ask for a refund/cancellation (yes, even on the last day of your membership) and they will return it all, no questions asked.

I have got one thing from Jet and it turned out fine. I read all the complaints on them, however, after ordering the item, and it did make me nervous. Either way, let us know how it goes, and how you like whichever one you decide on!

Another thought I had; have you tried Trader Joe's? They often have comparable items at good prices and smaller packages. Not as good a selection of fruits/vegetables/meats, but their frozen items are fantastic, and some of their other items are very good.

Another thought I had; have you tried Trader Joe's? They often have comparable items at good prices and smaller packages. Not as good a selection of fruits/vegetables/meats, but their frozen items are fantastic, and some of their other items are very good.

That's an interesting thing to consider however because of its location getting to Trader Joe's and parking in the area is a zoo, especially this time of year. Of course this time of year Costco isn't much better. We've never been overly impressed by Trader Joe's but if you said I think it's because their selection of fresh produce and meats is very limited and that's the type of items we normally prefer to purchase.

I love Trader Joe's but that's a hike for me since I'm out here in Crestwood. What I save on groceries is spend in gas and time. I wind up using Meijers or Reardons for fruits and vegetables. (I buy so little meats it hardly matters.)

I just received a discount email from Jet's. 20% any purchase $35. or over. Sale ends 11/28. Code is EXTRA20

I like food shopping and have about 6 places I like to go to because there are a half dozen or so things at each one that I prefer at that location. So, I let that dictate where I go each week. Only 2 or 3 stops.
Costco, Prospect Kroger (taps too), Paul's Brownsboro, Trader Joe's. Once every month or so Lucky's, Whole Foods, World Market, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Market. I miss Earth Fare as my closest place to run and get just a few items - guess that's why they closed. Couldn't afford to buy too much there.
Mike and I have the 'executive' Costco. We live less than 3 miles from there. Only place we buy gas in Louisville - that pays for the membership and more. Plus the other rebates since we have the visa card. Can't get propane filled at the new one (found out they have some different inventories - to get you to use both of them?) Concierge service for electronics, appliances, etc is excellent. Returns are easy - unless there is a line - which is the slowest move line. Check out isn't bad.
Order already cooked pizzas from food court - really good.
First place I look for anything I need. Most of my coats and casual wear are from there.
I think there is slippage in their frozen, refrigerated, and/or prepared foods. Quality is sometimes really yuck - glad they sample.
$1.48 + tax for their mocha at the food court.
Save on other items like photo center, cars, travel, rental cars, insurance - third party was a bad experience. Opted for State Farm so we could drop any association with Farm Bureau.
Glasses. Walked in with a pair I had dropped and fixed it at the counter. No questions.
Sometimes I think it's because I have mostly a pleasant experience shopping there (and Trader Joe's, Paul's, Kroger) that's why they are my go to stores.
Ellen (No, I don't have any connection with Costco:-)

Another thought I had; have you tried Trader Joe's? They often have comparable items at good prices and smaller packages. Not as good a selection of fruits/vegetables/meats, but their frozen items are fantastic, and some of their other items are very good.

I concur with the statement "their frozen items are fantastic." Their prices are also exceptionally competitive. TJ is not the place for everyone, nor for every item. Its a small place with limited selections. However, that is their strong point as well. Its kind of like a restaurant with a very limited menu--carefully selected items. Their French wine selection (and others) is also about as competitive as you'll find.

There's something about the TJ vibe. Hard to pinpoint. But lets just say that its probably the kind of place where I wouldn't mind working if I were doing that type of work.

In the debate about only accepting Visa cards, I would clarify that it only applies to credit cards and not debit cards.

Having visited the Showcase location several times now I'd say it's significantly less crowded than the one off Brownsboro. Probably not good for Costco but it makes for a more enjoyable experience.

Costco and Sam's stopped carrying these and replaced them with a inferior product/brand. I've been trying to find them elsewhere with no luck. The Sam's in Columbus Indiana sells them for some reason. GRRRRRR.