Reusable water bottles are your and the planet’s friend. Just saying…
@doschicos - At home, we do use reusable bottles with water straight from the tap as we are lucky to live in an area where we have excellent water. We only buy bottled water when we are on vacation as we do not know the quality of the water in the cities where we are visiting.
Sitting on the lanai here in Oahu, sipping chilled tap water. Water here is excellent! And so is tap water on other HI islands. Just don’t drink any water from waterfalls or streams (when we hiked with overnight camping, we boiled stream water or used water purification systems).
Yes, a bit confused about people just walking into Costco. Also, for the person who’s son wouldn’t let him in w/o his membership card…I’ve not had mine with me a number of times and I tell the person at the front door that I don’t have it and need to get a one day pass. I’m waived through to the membership desk and have never had a problem.
I’m a freeloader member who loves to sample. One of the Costco’s I frequent is very strict about membership cards. You can’t just wave any card at the checker and enter. The card is examined. Also if you have no card and go to the membership desk, you cannot gain access to the rest of the store. The traffic flows only out at the exit. There is one access from the entrance to the membership desk; you are not permitted to go anywhere but out from membership. The access to the eye section is set up the same way. I think it’s to restrict entry. You cannot get access to the pharmacy without a card.
Costco wouldn’t do sampling unless it benefitted them. With the typical quantities of a unit being so large, I’m sure sampling greatly helps them move the merchandise by giving customers a taste of something so they are willing to commit. If they didn’t do sampling, and through it are able to sell higher volumes, the prices probably wouldn’t be as low.
I agree that the sampling definitely benefits Costco - and it should. But consumers don’t have to feel the need to sample every item just because it’s free. Not helping Americans waistline!
Most of all I just would like shoppers to be courteous and cognizant of other shoppers and recognize the fact that some people are there to buy certain items and check out - not everyone is there for a leisurely hour explore at a snails pace!
I don’t think Costco designs their stores or their experience for the easy in, easy out customer. 
I don’t know, the store is set up very user friendly for the shopper who knows the store - I can def go in, be disciplined and grab the 10 items on my list - knowing where they will be located- and head to the register and out.
I see plenty of people who go in, grab the ROR roasted chicken and that’s it and head out the door.
I just picked up 2 pounds of Mayorga coffee from Costco. It’s not as good as the local fresh roasted coffee that’s my favorite, but it’s a non-oily bean that tastes good and works well in my super-automatic espresso machine. (It grinds the beans fresh for each drink). I not know that they sell it all the time, but the other day they had it as a sample display, so she could show me the beans.
When I visited COSTCO HQ and we got a store tour, we were actually told all the strategy behind the layout. It IS designed to move you through much of the store, and the expensive things (electronics and jewelry) are up front where you are immediately tempted before you get tired. Yes, if you know where “your” items are (i.e. the chicken) you can go right to it, but notice that it isn’t in the front!
I see nothing wrong with having a strategic layout. There is a reason department stores have their men’s departments on the ground floor… never on the top floor.
And why Costco doesn’t put signage in their aisles.
@1214mom, I’m a big Costco fan and a huge coffee fanatic. I’ve got a wonderful superautomatic and over time found that the Mayorga was still a little too oily for the superautomatic. I now order Lavazza Gran Espresso from Amazon. Not oily. Very good coffee.
Most members visit Costco often enough to remember what is located where. Because all Costcos have a very similar layout, it is easy for a Costco member to find their way around. Newbies are “encouraged” to explore. Signage and its maintenance adds to the costs…
Family is heading to Maui in a few weeks. The Costco is right across the street from the airport. There is a steady stream of rental cars going from the lot directly to Costco. We’ve joked that the rental companies should just park their cars in the Costco lot.
Smart strategy on Costco’s part. I’m sure it comes in handy for those doing condo rentals. It would be interesting to hear what unique products are carried in the HI stores. I bet @HImom knows.
We usually load up on Big Island honey, Mac nuts for baking, and Kona coffees.
When we rent a condo, we try to buy as much locally grown produce as possible. It is always very fresh! Plus fish… yum… and a giant tray of sashimi is usually our first lunch.
Which reminds me, I wonder why I can only find unsalted cashews in the Colorado Aurora or Parker Costco locations, but not anywhere in California.
Some items are local and some are more regulated in a state. Strange but true and nuts may be one of those regulated things in some states. Some states require the pharmacies to be open to all, no membership required. Ours does, and liquor licenses are related to pharmacy licenses.
Our Costcos are NOT all arranged the same. I’m used to the one I go to all the time (a nice square, clothing in the middle with no liquor department) while the next closest one to us is totally different, more of a rectangle. I get lost… The bakery is different, the milk is in a separate walk in (I can never find it), clothing along one wall.
I know they do that to torture me.