I just checked and compared the price of the exact same 15" MacBook Pro model with identical specs between Costco and Amazon. It’s $200 more expensive at Costco.
I haven’t checked on the Macs but is Costco possibly including the extended warranty (AppleCare)? That might explain the higher pricing.
Nope, if you add AppleCare, the price goes up by $330.
We tried the Costco pesto tonight and we were disappointed - way too salty and lacked a basil punch.
@shawbridge . Our list looks very similar, exceot for a few items. ?
The two times I tried to buy something electronic at Costco (TV and tablet), found they did not have the best price for what I wanted.
I don’t think anyone is ever claiming that Costco has the “best” price on everything. Does any retail store?
However I would argue after experience that you know what IS best price, and accumulate your Costco habits based on those items. And like any other store, the convenience of being able to pick up additional items - maybe a produce item that isn’t “best” price, but a decent price is savings in the time department.
And as pointed out often, with electronics always be sure to dig deep to see what exactly your Costco purchase is buying you - some electronics have additional components (a supply of batteries, an extra power cord, a carrying case, etc.) AND the extra warranty on your Costco card can be worth big $$$ if your product fails at some point.
On many items, like salmon, Costco may have best prices as, unlike many retailers, they keep their margin low and try to make their money on the annual fees (pure profit) and the volume. They generally tell retailers that for the product they are selling or more frequently for the quality point they are trying to hit, they have the best price point in the market. That definition may well have to do with both quality and size of package etc… They will often kick out a retailer who is giving a better price to someone else for the same item. Because Costco is often a big purchaser (e.g., 20% of sales for a vendor), vendors are wary of pricing underneath Costco for the identical item.
Costco basically uses its volume to drive down prices at a particular quality level. By keeping margins low, they are basically committing to pass the savings on to you. This means that you usually don’t have to do much comparison shopping.
Electronics does seem to work a little differently, @intparent. Our friends Costco often don’t have the best price and but are usually pretty close. But, as @abasket says, they often get something thrown in plus the extra year of warranty and the ease of dealing (returns etc.) so the overall package may well be better than a lower price. But, that’s individual preference. Plus I get the rebate and then the rebate from the Exec Membership (or whatever it is called).
Their white label often comes directly from the manufacturer of the same product they sell. To be the one supplier of say vodka or coffee, for example, they might require the vodka maker or coffee producer/distributor to also supply the Kirkland house brand. I think sometimes it is the identical product and sometimes somewhat different, but I’m no expert on this.
Friend wanted Sperry Gosling Duck boots for birthday…DSW has for $69, bought the exact shoe at Costco for 24.99
last Friday…they aren’t LLBeans but they what she wants…
When I come across something I like while shopping at Costco (or Sam’s), particularly electronic items, I immediately open the Amazon app on my cell phone to look for the exact same item to compare the price as well as the reviews. If I need more time to do further research, I take a snap shot of the item so I can return to it later.
For electronic items like TVs and laptops, I like to purchase them from Costco because of their base 2-year warranty (as opposed to 1-year standard warranty elsewhere) and, of course, their 90-day return policy. I hardly ever purchase these items when they’re not on sale, however. I always wait since they’re not always the cheapest or at bargain prices. Although Costco is not the cheapest, I’m rather surprised by the large price discrepancy on Mac’s. My guess is that they’ll figure things out and adjust the price on these items before long.
Years ago, both Costco and Sam’s used to sell nothing but “wild caught” salmons. The day that I noticed that these were all replaced with “farm raised,” I stopped buying them. Fortunately, salmons in the frozen section are wild caught from Alaska, so that’s what I get. I have zero confidence with farm raised seafood.
This just in: Wine at Costco: https://www.businessinsider.com/wine-costco-best-picks-2018-12#expensive-wines-in-general-11. I have had some great buys there.
@TiggerDad 2 comments re: farm-raised vs wild salmon:
Many experts in marine biology/ocean sustainability recommend farm raised. There are decent farm raised programs out there.
Are you as careful about your other protein sources - beef, pork, chicken? Not just having it be “organic” but knowing exactly where it comes from and how it was raised?
Whenever possible, I like to know as much about all that I’m consuming. The other day, I did purchase a salmon that was farm raised in Chile with a good info on its packaging about how it was farm raised. The info I got made me feel confident enough to purchase that item. So, I’m not inflexible.
You might want to check out many videos on YouTube regarding farm raised vs. wild caught. You’ll have to make your own conclusion, but I’ll stick to wild caught whenever I have that choice.
Gosh, @doschicos , it sounds like you’re 0-2 so far!
I’m happy with the products that were brands I already knew and liked. Didn’t do as well on the new to me products.
Pesto (and many fresh and refrigerated foods) brands can vary at different Costco locations. Our jar of pesto was great, but I have not purchased it in years… too much pesto for 2 people! 
Pesto freezes well. This was the Kirkland brand. It looks like this.
http://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=1814586C-D948-11E1-956E-1231381BA074
Although I usually make my own pesto, one store brand I like is Buitoni. I compared the labels online and, for the same serving size, Kirkland has about twice the sodium content. To us, the overwhelming flavor was salt.
We probably use pesto once a year, so no, I would not try to portion that large jar and freeze it… it would just crowd the freezer. The one we got was not KS, but as I said, it was a while ago. So note to self: do not buy KS pesto.
I’ve bought the Kirkland pesto and I also don’t care for it.
With many of the salad mixes that come with the dressing I make my own. I find the packaged dressings to be very sweet. I like the kale mix that comes with the cranberries and peopitas. I toss the poppy seed dressing and make a simple apple cider vinaigrette. I love not having to chop all the produce.