Interesting article Amazon vs Costco

[hillview]

Check it out --
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/your-money/05money.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage

[sewarsh]

Great article - Costco & Amazon...2 of my favorite shops!

I got my $570 rebate check and took it to Costco.
Spent $70 and got the rest in cash which was later deposited to our savings!

[ellies mom]

Clearly that guy doesn't fully appreciate the joy of shopping at Costco. Or he only goes on Saturdays right before Christmas. Granted, I normally go to Costco during the week but I love going to Costco. I love the samples. I love stumbling across that item that I never would have thought to look for (and now desperately need). I love the nice employees who always have a friendly word for my daughters and almost always draw a funny little picture on the receipt for them. I love that they employee local people at a decent wage. I love their return policy. I don't mind Amazon; I'm actually waiting for an Amazon shipment right now. But in my little world it will never replace Costco.

[citymama]

Really interesting article - thanks for sharing. I'm the opposite of Veronica - I feel the writer doesn't adequately factor in the agony and angst that shopping at Costco wreaks on a person like me. Its not my time at the store that I weigh against the 2 minutes it takes me to order online. It's the clammy feeling I get in the enormous aisles surrounded by massive quantities of consumer goods. It's the *enormous* size of the store that makes me feel like I should be on roller blades to get from one end of the store to the other - and heaven forbid I miss something and have to trek across the store again! Argh, I find it so so stressful to shop at some place so enormous. Plus I end up spending way more on unnecessary, impulse buys, and I don't spend the time comparison shopping, reading reviews, or exploring alternatives the way I would at amazon.

That said, Costco is unionized and has decent politics, so I really should be supporting them over amazon. I'm so happy to be an armchair shopper though!

[Smillow]

My pleasure with shopping @ Costco depends alot on where & when I go. In South Florida, forget Fridays & weekends. Here in the Shenandoah Valley, I have gone on the days before Christmas (and last year on Christmas eve) and it is more pleasant than South Florida on the best days!

[gatorsmom]

The closest Costco that I know of is 3 hours away from where we currently live. I had been considering amazon subscribe and save because this little town just doesn't have any of the things I prefer to buy and I have boycotted Sam's club. I we decide to move here permanently, I may consider Amazon more seriously.

[mommylamb]

Interesting article. I've always wondered this (or at least since I joined Amazon Mom). I do think Amazon has a better deal on diapers than Costco since you get 30% off, not just 15%. But overall, I'm glad to see that Costco was a better deal overall because that means I should feel good about keeping my Costco subscription and I do love Costco.

I love them both-- glad I don't have to choose! :loveeyes:

[viba424]

I love amazon, and I think its in part because I live in the city and dont have a car. If it were simpler, Id love to have a membership to Costo but I just cant do it here. I feel guilty about all the cardboard waste. Still, amazon is awesome and I just love S&S.

This reminds me, if you are having trouble getting an Amazon Mom order togetether to get your Prime extended, realized I could be buying baby food or some other SS item, NOT do the subscribe and save and pay the extra couple bucks and easily get another month. Just a thought.

[Melaine]

The closest Costco that I know of is 3 hours away from where we currently live. I had been considering amazon subscribe and save because this little town just doesn't have any of the things I prefer to buy and I have boycotted Sam's club. I we decide to move here permanently, I may consider Amazon more seriously.

Why did you boycott Sam's? I had a customer service tiff with them and would probably not renew my membership except DH gets it through work. We don't have a Costco.

[BabyMine]

There is nothing like walking through Costco w/out the kids on a slow day. I love them both and have my own reasons for using both. Just like I have memberships to all 3 warehouses because I like particular things at each.

[kijip]

Why did you boycott Sam's?

I assume it is because she boycott's Walmart brands IIRC. I would not say I boycott, but I don't ever shop at Walmart or Sam's. Especially with a couple of Costco's near me. I would rather go to the store I know treats their employees very well than the store who I know has a very questionable history of employment practices, very low compensation rates, as well as flat out lying about product origins (during their buy American campaign and it turned out that most items were not actually made in America).

[kijip]

Both Amazon and Costco are local companies to me. As a result, for one, I pay nearly 10% sales tax on my Amazon orders and I know both companies role in the community. Costco is very philanthropic in addition. Amazon is not, which is atypical for big Seattle companies. It is hard to not want to feel supportive of places a lot of your friends work.

I used to do Amazon Fresh but realized it was just a bit too much once I no longer had a sick mom and new baby to take care of. But when we used it, it was great. Every Monday AM, everything I needed for the kids lunches, plus milk, bread and some other groceries, some flowers just arrived at my door in reusable plastic bins.

I tend to do Costco more than Amazon, but we go together at a slow time and it all works out fairly fast because we have a list.

[squimp]

He's right about having to look at your individual consumer choices. I was intrigued, so I looked at toilet paper. I can get our brand of TP for just as cheap at my local co-op on their member savings day as I can from Amazon's subscribe and save. And I'm supporting local business and jobs.

[vonfirmath]

This is a guy wrote this article, right?

For me, the time spent going out shopping is some me time. it's getting out of the house, enjoying myself. If I can save $43 in the process? Great! But the time is not a cost because I'd want to be out of the house SOMEWHERE anyway.

(and I don't buy diapers at Costco because they are too expensive)

I am nervous to use Subscribe & Save because I'm afraid we'd run out before the next shipment came/had too much left when the next shipment came. I'm not confident of how much we use.

And then you can buy $1.50 hot dogs or $2 pizza on the way out of Costco to reward yourself for your shopping trip. Yay!

Oh and I tend to cash my Amer express check AFTER doing my shopping. So the cash goes into my savings account. -- to be used on bills or other shopping trips, depending on what is needed for the family. This year $50 will be used to upgrade our Costco membership to Executive.

[wellyes]

I don't want to spend my me time on errands or doing recreational shopping. Except of the most frivolous sort - clothes and used bookstores, yes; Target and the grocery store, no. I get everything delivered that they'll let me deliver!


I am nervous to use Subscribe & Save because I'm afraid we'd run out before the next shipment came/had too much left when the next shipment came. I'm not confident of how much we use.

I just order everything to come at 6 month intervals (the max allowed), then tell them to send the next shipment early when I realize it's time for a refill of (whatever). In other words, when I'm running low I just put the order in vs putting it on a shopping list. The six month window gives me time to cancel the S&S if I realize I won't want anymore.I get TP, paper towels, diapers, wipes, cat food, mac-and-cheese, baby food, toothpaste, deodorant, maple syrup, snack foods, canned goods (diced tomatoes, pumpkin, black beans.). Tons of stuff.

I do feel RIDICULOUS getting everything hand delivered to me via UPS. But if the price is the same for it to come to my door, I'll take it.

[arivecchi]

I was largely underwhelmed by Costco. I always spent way more than I should have, bought things that were just not necessary and IMO, the deals were not that great for a small family of 4. The one near us is always a zoo whenever I am off work, so it was stressful to boot.

I did not renew my membership and do not miss it one bit.

I have become an Amazon addict this year due to Amazon Mom. I buy everything I can there! I have S&S subscriptions for many things - dipes, wipes, tp, paper towels, on and on. I love the super fast shipping, competitive prices and fast shopping with reviews. I have become quite good at ordering from my smartphone too. :bag

You could not pay me to go to Costco now. Well, maybe I would do it for some serious cash. LOL.

[boolady]

I was largely underwhelmed by Costco. I always spent way more than I should have, bought things that were just not necessary and IMO, the deals were not that great for a small family of 4. The one near us is always a zoo whenever I am off work, so it was stressful to boot.

I did not renew my membership and do not miss it one bit.

I have become an Amazon addict this year due to Amazon Mom. I buy everything I can there! I have S&S subscriptions for many things - dipes, wipes, tp, paper towels, on and on. I love the super fast shipping, competitive prices and fast shopping with reviews. I have become quite good at ordering from my smartphone too. :bag

You could not pay me to go to Costco now. Well, maybe I would do it for some serious cash. LOL.


But, to be fair, you also didn't like Trader Joe's until several of the very wise mamas on here convinced you to reconsider. :rotflmao: I wasn't one of them, but I'll take up the Costco cause-- I love that place, and have learned to focus on the things that we really need. There are things that definitely have become staples in our house that are a good deal there-- Chobani yogurt, frozen bean burritos that I bring to work for lunch, organic chicken breasts/thighs, salmon and turkey burgers in the summer, Pirate Booty, Aidell's chicken sausage, green peppers, pineapple, Hanna Andersson for DD, toys for when we need gifts, salad mix, etc.

I do agree with you that there are many things there that come in quantities too large to be useful to smaller families, but there are lots of good deals to be had, as well.

ETA: Cabot cheese, brussel sprouts, whole wheat Barilla pasta...

[vonfirmath]

When we were a family of *two* in the Seattle, WA area, we bought enough Peter Pan peanut butter at Costco to make the membership worth it for us!