Costco

[jn1780]

Just go through the exit, when the person asks to see your card say you are actually going to the membership desk to sign up, get a replacement card, get a temporary day slip, etc. . Keep walking past the membership desk to the food area, that area is busy enough to slip through a busy cashier area and into the store. It's not like you can buy anything anyway, and they check every receipt leaving the door. So I don't know why they make a big deal out of it. Worst you could do is take a few samples but even then those are fewer and far between now.

I don't think Sam's bothers with card checking anymore. They already check your cart before you leave so what value a front door check bring them?

[Jersey Boss]

This is why I have never bothered to even try to check it out. Norman resident, so only 5 miles away. Having to go up 36th/Telephone Rd or brave 19th street are a non-starter.

But the first time I tried at another location, they wouldn't let me in without a membership, even to just look around. So I haven't even tried at the Moore location. With that and driving by Sam's on my way home every day, why make the effort?

Now Trader Joe's, I drive there once at least every other week

Anyone can get Rx or immunizations at a Costco w/o membership. Tell the door checker that is what you are doing. You can get that buck and a half frank at the food court without a card as well

[gjl]

I don't think Sam's bothers with card checking anymore. They already check your cart before you leave so what value a front door check bring them?

Sams always seemed to be location specific on the card check at the door. Although lately they haven’t been checking at the ones i go to. Even if they have someone at the door I usually lust walk on by then without even looking at them.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I will now admit I used to think Sams was just fine and no need to go to Costco. I now only go to Costco. The quality and selection are just so much better. Only thing I miss is Scan and Go from Sam's.

[gjl]

I will now admit I used to think Sams was just fine and no need to go to Costco. I now only go to Costco. The quality and selection are just so much better. Only thing I miss is Scan and Go from Sam's.

And the fact that you can buy the same product at Sam's for years and then poof its gone never to be seen there again. Many times its a name brand product too. One time I complained to a manager about that and they said Sam's probably couldn’t get that product for the price they wanted to pay any more. My thoughts were who cares. Stock the product and just charge more for it. I don’t know if Costco does that too.

[therhett17]

I don't understand the point of checking cards at the door, you have to have a card at checkout to actually buy anything

[Pete]

I don't understand the point of checking cards at the door, you have to have a card at checkout to actually buy anything

Cuts down on theft.

[jdross1982]

With the great success of the North location, there really is no reason to not open a 2nd location in Edmond off I35 which would draw from Edmond, Guthrie and beyond.

[therhett17]

With the great success of the North location, there really is no reason to not open a 2nd location in Edmond off I35 which would draw from Edmond, Guthrie and beyond.

In a "perfect world", there'd be one in the Yukon/Mustang area and one in the MWC/Del City area, in addition to the two we already have in the north and south. But that's unlikely to happen, especially the east metro location

[catch22]

I don't understand the point of checking cards at the door, you have to have a card at checkout to actually buy anything

I think there's some psychological value for the members. It is a "members-only warehouse" after all. Someone pays good money for that card - they want to pull it out and flash it as they go in.

[MagzOK]

I think there's some psychological value for the members. It is a "members-only warehouse" after all. Someone pays good money for that card - they want to pull it out and flash it as they go in.

No. As a member, it's annoying to have to stop and fumble with the wallet to produce the card. But it is what it is, I don't really think too much about it.

[midtownokcer]

No. As a member, it's annoying to have to stop and fumble with the wallet to produce the card. But it is what it is, I don't really think too much about it.

I don't even carry my physical card with me anymore. I just pull up the app, which has a digital version of the card and show them that.

[king183]

I think there's some psychological value for the members. It is a "members-only warehouse" after all. Someone pays good money for that card - they want to pull it out and flash it as they go in.

Logistically, it makes sense. A lot of people don't know it's a members-only warehouse and try to shop there. Imagine the crap show it would be if all these people shopped, got to check out, and then realized they had to be members. It would back up everyone, require restocking from carts, create frustration all around, etc.

[Bowser214]

Costco to open new location in Tulsa next week
https://www.newson6.com/story/6465f9...ibextid=Zxz2cZ

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Family member used Costco Travel this year for first time for a 2 week trip to Florence and Venice, said the price was incredibly reasonable and the hotels were better than expected at the price point. Some of those travel deals they list are amazing, they seem to have crazy low Fiji pricing.
I finally broke down and joined solely based on travel. Never had cause to set foot in any members only warehouse til now, but seemed worth the try this year. Any other hot tips besides the gas? I used to live in Bothell so I'm already well versed on the Kirkland brand lol.

[Pete]

^

Any service or product Costco gets behind, you can count on good quality and value. That is by far the biggest difference between it and Sam's Club.

For example, I've bought some really nice high-quality furniture from Costco and I'd never buy anything like that from Sam's.

Also, Costco has incredible customer service. You can return anything, at any time and almost in any condition.

[unfundedrick]

Family member used Costco Travel this year for first time for a 2 week trip to Florence and Venice, said the price was incredibly reasonable and the hotels were better than expected at the price point. Some of those travel deals they list are amazing, they seem to have crazy low Fiji pricing.
I finally broke down and joined solely based on travel. Never had cause to set foot in any members only warehouse til now, but seemed worth the try this year. Any other hot tips besides the gas? I used to live in Bothell so I'm already well versed on the Kirkland brand lol.

They may have gotten a very good deal on their travel but, keep in mind, Costco has absolutely no control of the price of any component of travel. Listing good deals on travel is one thing. Finding those good deals available for what you want is another.

[Celebrator]

Costco is our only weekly shopping stop. Celebrated like we won the lottery when they finally opened here a few years ago. Couldn't live without it, really. Have bought travel (they are awesome for rental cars) including a cruise, tires, appliances, and tons of food and clothes. I have heard that they are the largest organic retailer in the world! They are just a great store and we are very loyal shoppers there because of the combination of selection, quality, and price that is just unbeatable for our shopping habits. And our particular store is one of the nicest ones with the best selection that we have been to in the entire country...seriously!

[bombermwc]

On the tech side, I do with Costco would catch up with Sams. That mobile checkout would be a real nice change with the lines at Costco. Those reciept checkers are already a-holes enough. I'm sure they'll be able to catch someone faking it there.

And the app is not very helpful either. With Sams, it knows where the item is in the store and tells me where to go. The Costco employees are great, but they even say "well they move things around all the the time so the last time I saw that, it was on aisle X". They've always been willing to walk with me, but I'm a big proponent of customers also helping themselves to information made available to them so the employee is freed up to do their tasks or help the customer that needs real help not just a pointing finger.

It's simple things too. At Sams, you can swipe or scan your membership card and the tech is smart enough to know that its the membership card. At Costco, you have to scan it. If you swipe it, it sits there like a dumb brick. And yes, I do test out things like that to compare the two to see how their tech folks are thinking about customer interaction. So far, Sams still wins, but they also have Walmart and Lowes to build the models off of with incredible inventory management. For all Costco can hope to be, there's something that comes with being a mega-corp like the parent of Wally World.

For all they do well, it just seems like a couple of the technology elements are still lagging.

[FighttheGoodFight]

On the tech side, I do with Costco would catch up with Sams. That mobile checkout would be a real nice change with the lines at Costco. Those reciept checkers are already a-holes enough. I'm sure they'll be able to catch someone faking it there.

And the app is not very helpful either. With Sams, it knows where the item is in the store and tells me where to go. The Costco employees are great, but they even say "well they move things around all the the time so the last time I saw that, it was on aisle X". They've always been willing to walk with me, but I'm a big proponent of customers also helping themselves to information made available to them so the employee is freed up to do their tasks or help the customer that needs real help not just a pointing finger.

It's simple things too. At Sams, you can swipe or scan your membership card and the tech is smart enough to know that its the membership card. At Costco, you have to scan it. If you swipe it, it sits there like a dumb brick. And yes, I do test out things like that to compare the two to see how their tech folks are thinking about customer interaction. So far, Sams still wins, but they also have Walmart and Lowes to build the models off of with incredible inventory management. For all Costco can hope to be, there's something that comes with being a mega-corp like the parent of Wally World.

For all they do well, it just seems like a couple of the technology elements are still lagging.

I wonder if it is more of a difference in what they want between Sams and Costco. I feel like Costco wants people to be checking people out in lanes and loading it in to the carts. I feel like Sams eventually wants no lane checkers at all (much like Walmart). The irony is when I go to Sams the two lanes doing in person checkout are miles long and the self checkouts are empty.

Costcos online search is terrible though. But I did find out that the stock per store can be pretty different. I always see some new product online and it turns out only in SoCal so I never get it at our Costco.

[Pete]

The tech difference is simply due to Sam's being a part of Walmart, the world's largest retailer with massive existing infrastructure and resources. Costco is a tiny fraction of their size and independent.

Walmart uses technology primarily so they can hire a lot fewer people in the stores, whereas Costco is very focused on employees and customer service.

[warreng88]

^

Any service or product Costco gets behind, you can count on good quality and value. That is by far the biggest difference between it and Sam's Club.

For example, I've bought some really nice high-quality furniture from Costco and I'd never buy anything like that from Sam's.

Also, Costco has incredible customer service. You can return anything, at any time and almost in any condition.

I was in the market to purchase some bose headphones there and asked the person working what the return policy was (I haven't ever had to return anything there) and she said, if you don't like it, bring it back...

[Mountaingoat]

I have returned several things to COSTCO and have never had any problems, even when the product was slightly used.

[Just the facts]

I wonder if it is more of a difference in what they want between Sams and Costco. I feel like Costco wants people to be checking people out in lanes and loading it in to the carts. I feel like Sams eventually wants no lane checkers at all (much like Walmart). The irony is when I go to Sams the two lanes doing in person checkout are miles long and the self checkouts are empty.

Costcos online search is terrible though. But I did find out that the stock per store can be pretty different. I always see some new product online and it turns out only in SoCal so I never get it at our Costco.

Our local Costco is almost exclusively self-checkout. The only time there is an actual cashier is if someone needs assistance or if the self-checkout is backed up. There are 6 self-check out lanes and only 3 cashier lanes.

At our nearest Sams self-check out and cashier lanes are split about 50/50 but they have two RFID checkouts and you just push your cart through and pay the total.

[barrettd]

Our local Costco is almost exclusively self-checkout. The only time there is an actual cashier is if someone needs assistance or if the self-checkout is backed up. There are 6 self-check out lanes and only 3 cashier lanes.

At our nearest Sams self-check out and cashier lanes are split about 50/50 but they have two RFID checkouts and you just push your cart through and pay the total.

I haven't yet heard of this RFID checkout at Sam's. Do they have them here in OKC too? I always use Scan N Go.