Weirdest Shopping Trip Ever

I've always found Costco to be an odd store. Primarily, because they charge people to shop there. I find it hard to comprehend that they think requiring a membership to enter the store is good for sales. Wouldn't they get a greater number of people checking them out and potentially making purchases if they didn't have to buy memberships?

But in any case, I received a Costco gift card for Christmas which provided me an opportunity to experience the full Costco shopping experience last week, since using a gift card is one way you can actually get in without a membership or using someone else's. And it definitely was a weird experience.

First, there was getting a shopping cart. They have big carts there. And only carts—no baskets. It's as if the thought that someone might just want to quickly pop in for a few items never occurred to them. But I was fine with taking a cart, since I had no idea what I'd be coming out with. For all I knew, I might have ended up buying several big cases of soup or something.

Then there was actually getting into the store. It felt weird seeing someone at the door checking for memberships. Memberships for some sort of club, perhaps, but not a retail store. Plus I was a little nervous, concerned that the guy at the door would have some issue with me coming in with just a gift card and no membership. But he let me in with no problems, and I got my chance to look around.

Not that it was much to look at, though. What an unattractive store. Even Walmart has a more attractive looking store, even though they do occasionally dump a whole skid of products in the middle of the aisle. Obviously they try to cut costs wherever possible, and I guess rolling a skid under a shelf is certainly less labour intensive than having someone unload it onto the shelf.

One of the things I always hear about Costco is how cheap they are. Well with my shopping habits it was tricky to actually compare, since there are lots of things there that I've never bought and really have no idea how much it costs elsewhere. And there were other things that I have to purchase so infrequently that I couldn't remember how much I paid for it last time I bought it. And to be honest, for most things I have no interest in buying in such large quantities since it would take me forever to go through it and I don't have enough space to buy tons of stuff in bulk. But there were a few staples that I regularly purchase, so I made a point of seeking them out.

Like soup. I love having soup for my lunches, particularly the Campbell's Chunky soups. They have such a wide variety of flavours too. But my choice at Costco? A big case with 4 cans of Beef, 4 cans of Chicken Noodle. And, while the price was indeed better than the regular price buying individual cans elsewhere, it still wasn't better than when I stock up, during sales. And in addition to being even cheaper, I'm able so select from such varieties as Split Pea, Southwestern Chicken and Prime Rib and Vegetable. A lot better than boring old Beef and Chicken Noodle!

It was the same deal with the Pizza Pops. The only option I could see was a big huge box of Pepperoni Pizza Pops. No Hawaiian, no Deluxe. Just Pepperoni. I'd rather pay the extra 25¢ each to have a greater variety. Now peanut butter, on the other hand, appeared to be a great deal. But I'd have to buy a jar of it the size of my head. Which would last me years. And would be stale before I even got ¼ through it.

But I did find something great to use my gift card towards. Close to the start of the visit, actually. And off to the checkout I went, after I had concluded my exploration. When I got to the checkout counter, I put my products on the conveyor and proceeded to push the cart through like you would at any other store. I was told by the fellow manning this checkout that the carts went behind him. How weird.

And then came payment. I can understand needing to get an override code from a supervisor, because I didn't have a membership card to swipe, but what I didn't understand was how they don't take Visa or Mastercard. Yes, in addition to thinking it was a great idea to charge people to shop there, they also felt it was a great idea to limit their customers' payment options. To be honest, I did hear in advance how they didn't take Visa, but I still whipped it out anyway just to have the chance to verbally say, “Weird. This is the only store I've ever shopped at that doesn't take Visa.” Fortunately I also have a debit card, but I can't help but wonder if they've ever gotten people coming through who didn't have one, and didn't know until they were trying to pay that their credit card wouldn't work there.

Anyway... On to the bagger at the end of the checkout. Except he wasn't a bagger. He just picked the stuff up and put it back in the cart. True, I didn't get enough to justify needing a bag, but the thing was, I didn't see any bags around, period. Every store has bags. Many charge for them now, but the point is that they do have them. Yet another weird thing about Costco.

By then it was about lunch time, and I was getting hungry. I thought I'd check out the little cafeteria they had there. Well, until I saw the “Cash Only” sign. See above comments about a large retail store deliberately limiting customers' payment options. Oh well, I could wait until I got home to have something.

Even leaving the store was a weird experience. There was a lady in a Costco uniform standing there, extending her hand towards me. Not saying anything, just extending her hand towards me. When I didn't seem to know what she was doing that for, she commented that this must have been my first time shopping there and that the “Costco Way” was to show your membership card on the way in, and your receipt on the way out. I've been asked to show my receipt on my way out of Best Buy a couple times (key word there being asked, not just extending their hand), but that's a rare occurrence. But Costco, checking everyone's receipt after every visit? How weird.

But I survived the trip. I honestly can't say I was all that impressed, and I have no desire to actually pay for a membership for the “privilege” of shopping there again. But I did get a great box set of all the Looney Tunes Golden Collection volumes that I admit was an amazing price even before taking a chunk off thanks to the gift card, so I definitely wouldn't say it was a wasted trip. Just a weird one.