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Costco vs. Amazon: evidence

Passepartout

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I needed a new supply of lawn/leaf bags, and like these Kirkland brand bags. So I checked both places. At Amazon, they would magically appear on my porch for $29.99 if I wait for a week (Not Prime eligible) or $34.32 to have them arrive in two days.
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Or $22.99 at my friendly local Costco, or for an additional $3, they too can be delivered to my door. Clearly, Costco beats Amazon on this item, and not by mere pennies. I suppose I could check Walmart, but (a) I don't do Walmart, and (b) they don't carry Kirkland brand, so any comparison would be apples vs oranges.

So I can go to Costco, nosh my lunch there, bring home a rotisserie chicken for dinner, be able to rake some leaves, and save some money too. You gotta love Costco. And Dave, those electric carts will give your new knee a break too.

Jim
 

wackymother

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I needed a new supply of lawn/leaf bags, and like these Kirkland brand bags. So I checked both places. At Amazon, they would magically appear on my porch for $29.99 if I wait for a week (Not Prime eligible) or $34.32 to have them arrive in two days.
Or $22.99 at my friendly local Costco, or for an additional $3, they too can be delivered to my door. Clearly, Costco beats Amazon on this item, and not by mere pennies. I suppose I could check Walmart, but (a) I don't do Walmart, and (b) they don't carry Kirkland brand, so any comparison would be apples vs oranges.

So I can go to Costco, nosh my lunch there, bring home a rotisserie chicken for dinner, be able to rake some leaves, and save some money too. You gotta love Costco. And Dave, those electric carts will give your new knee a break too.

Jim


When you see Kirkland brand products on Amazon, that's a third-party seller trying to make a buck by buying Costco items and then reselling on Amazon. Amazon takes a good chunk of money on every sale, and then the third-party seller has to pay for shipping somehow. So it's almost always going to be a better deal going to Costco. The third-party seller makes money on people who can't get to Costco.
 

Passepartout

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When you see Kirkland brand products on Amazon, that's a third-party seller trying to make a buck by buying Costco items and then reselling on Amazon. Amazon takes a good chunk of money on every sale, and then the third-party seller has to pay for shipping somehow. So it's almost always going to be a better deal going to Costco. The third-party seller makes money on people who can't get to Costco.
That makes sense. Thanks
 

DaveNV

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What @wackymother said. Kirkland is a store brand, and Amazon lets people resell Costco products. Amazon drop-ships for that reseller, so the person making those few bucks doesn’t ever need to touch the product, or interact with the customer. A nice racket, to be honest.

Also, note the Costco refund policy doesn’t apply to products you buy on Amazon, even if it’s Costco merchandise. This is another case where Costco checking your shopping history comes in. If they can’t see that you bought it at Costco, you can’t return it there. Spouse tells people all the time that the return can’t be done, because there is no record of the sale. The Costco customer then has to try and find that invisible Amazon reseller.

A recent example: A guy tried to return two pairs of pants he bought that didn’t fit. He was told he’d have to return them through Amazon. Then he was told, “You know, we have those pants for sale here at Costco, in stock in the size you need. And they’re $10 a pair cheaper than you paid on Amazon.” The guy was pretty mad, but it was his own fault.

The product isn’t Prime eligible because it has to be ordered from Costco first, then received by Amazon, then repackaged and shipped to you. What a hassle!

Glad you went with Costco, Jim. You saved more than your lunch cost. ;)

Dave
 
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Bucky

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The allure of using amazon is the fact you don’t have to get out and fight traffic to save a few dollars. Granted, for something like this I would put it on my Costco list for our next trip since it’s not something I need this minute the savings makes sense. But there are times I need something immediately, not groceries or home staples, and I don’t want to be out on a Saturday around all the loonies that’s have been at work all week. That’s when I will look on Amazon or even Amazon Prime. If the price difference is reasonable I will opt for the fastest delivery rather than fight the traffic. There is no universal Best Buy all the time company. I will check eBay, Amazon, Walmart, target, Costco, bjs, etc when shopping the internet before making a purchase.
 

DaveNV

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I will check eBay, Amazon, Walmart, target, Costco, bjs, etc when shopping the internet before making a purchase.

I think this speaks to the nature of modern shopping habits. For me, Costco and Amazon are my main locations for buying a lot of things. I don't have a lot of retail store options in my town, so buying online makes sense here. I like the convenience of having it on my front porch in a few days. But if it's a Costco product, I'll buy it in the warehouse, or from Costco.com. Keeps peace in the family, too. :)

Dave
 

WinniWoman

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We do not have a Costco here so I have ordered Kirkland items on Amazon at times. We do belong to Sams Club and now that we are in the rental house we are not far from it.

But when we move to NH there will be neither nearby so Wal-Mart here we come.
 

TheTimeTraveler

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We do not have a Costco here so I have ordered Kirkland items on Amazon at times. We do belong to Sams Club and now that we are in the rental house we are not far from it.

But when we move to NH there will be neither nearby so Wal-Mart here we come.



Not sure where you are moving to in NH but there is one Costco in the state of NH. It is located right off Route 3 in Nashua.

You may find it is worthwhile to take a trip there a few times a year (especially if you ever need new tires for your cars).



.
 
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WinniWoman

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Not sure where you are moving to in NH but there is one Costco in the state of NH. It is located right off Route 3 in Nashua.

You may find it is worthwhile to take a trip there a few times a year (especially if you every need new tires for your cars).



.

Yes- I know. That is far from where we are moving.
 

JohnPaul

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Yes- I know. That is far from where we are moving.

Being from the West, I didn't think anything in New Hampshire coiuld be far from anything else in New Hampshire. :)
 

WinniWoman

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Being from the West, I didn't think anything in New Hampshire coiuld be far from anything else in New Hampshire. :)

To me, anything more than a half hour is far. The Sams Club here was 25 minutes from our former home and is now 10 minutes from our temporary home. Yet we still live in a rural area. Believe me, we are used to driving around these parts but I draw the line for certain things. Not to mention the traffic factor the further south you go in NH.
 

geist1223

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Driving distances are different for each person and can also vary where you live. When I lived in LA it was nothing to drive 45 to 60 miles for a nice dinner. Now it is a lot to drive to Portland Oregon for anything. About 50 miles.
 

Luanne

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We drive an hour to get to the closest Costco. We go about once a month. When we lived in California we went weekly as the closest Costco was 10 minutes away.
 

Passepartout

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Our town is the biggest retail center within a 2+ hour radius. So if it isn't within 10-15 minutes (Costco, most eateries, business type offices, groceries) it's hours away. Nearest Trader Joe's 2 hours. Nearest IKEA 4 hours- like nearest Int'l airport (SLC).
 

Makai Guy

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The summer we worked in Yellowstone it was a good 1.5 hour drive just to get to a grocery store. We were still VERY conscious of being near to amenities when we chose our retirement home in Aiken the following summer.
 

PrairieGirl

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Now it is a lot to drive to Portland Oregon for anything. About 50 miles.
Too funny! When I moved from Portland to a farm in Saskatchewan I tried to give my friends some perspective on my grocery shopping excursions - "picture if you had to drive to Salem to the nearest Safeway".
 

jehb2

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Arguing over Costco vs Amazon is like arguing about which of my children I like best. They’re similar in some ways and different in others but I love them both dearly.
 

jehb2

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Arguing over Costco vs Amazon is like arguing about which of my children I like best. They’re similar in some ways and different in others but I love them both dearly.
 

Bucky

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Driving distances are different for each person and can also vary where you live. When I lived in LA it was nothing to drive 45 to 60 miles for a nice dinner. Now it is a lot to drive to Portland Oregon for anything. About 50 miles.

LOL. When we lived in Orange County in SoCal it could take an hour to get to a restaurant in the same city! I worked in Long Beach, 12 miles from home and it took me the better part of an hour to get to and from work!
 
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