costco northlakes.

[dirtyclevo]

just a rant.

anyone been inside?

i went up there today to sign up and have a look.

drove in the carpark.

THE LINE! to membership was like one you'd expect at dreamworld on school holidays. it was a madhouse.

and of course you cant enter the store without membership. so i thought **** this I'm outta here. i didnt want to be there all day to look at a shop that sells everything you can buy elsewhere.

its bulk version of pick & pay hypermarket

campbells cash & carry is still around and they've been doing for 20 odd years.

[GASWAGON]

ACA did a comparison of prices from Costco to normal supermarkets and the prices were sometimes dearer.......Not to mention the $60 membership fee!

[AGH]

Yeah I'm a member and yeah you have to know your prices....but I reckon I save the $60 membership fee more that once per year. I got my last set of tyres from them. They use nitrogen rather that air and will do a tyre rotation and balance free every 10k after you buy the tyres. They will also repair punctures for free. It's all up to personal preference and I only buy certain stuff there. If someone asked would I recommend joining I would say yes based to the info I have just provided. I do stay away from the place on weekends it is a madhouse.
Cheers

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by AGH

Yeah I'm a member and yeah you have to know your prices....but I reckon I save the $60 membership fee more that once per year. I got my last set of tyres from them. They use nitrogen rather that air and will do a tyre rotation and balance free every 10k after you buy the tyres. They will also repair punctures for free. It's all up to personal preference and I only buy certain stuff there. If someone asked would I recommend joining I would say yes based to the info I have just provided. I do stay away from the place on weekends it is a madhouse.
Cheers

You gotta be joking.....How can they afford to do free tyre rotations every 10k for free.....So they literally have tyres inside the shop or do they have workshop around the side like a Kmart.

[AGH]

Originally Posted by EF_6

You gotta be joking.....How can they afford to do free tyre rotations every 10k for free.....So they literally have tyres inside the shop or do they have workshop around the side like a Kmart.

In the ACT the tyre workshop is part of the building. It's a friggin big building. You walk through into the tyre section. They have parking bays directly outside the tyre workshop in the carpark which are reserved for the tyre workshop. I bought my tyres (Bridgestone 17's) at 100k and had a rotation and balance at 110k. I told them I just wanted rotation front to rear only so the tyres roll the same direction...that's just me...
If you've never been to a Costco store I would advise to go and have a look if you have one in your state. Yes you have to be a member to get in which I admit is a drawback or you find a family member/friend who is a member.

[Ovakil460]

Got told today,you can visit this week without being a member.

[fordomatic]

Just buy a $10 giftcard online then you get in for free and you can buy 7 hotdogs on the way out

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by fordomatic

Just buy a $10 giftcard online then you get in for free and you can buy 7 hotdogs on the way out

Lol! 7 free hotdogs hey? Not bad! The get in for free sounds alright tho

[nstg8a]

We stored all the shop fit out stuff at work, not one single piece of that store fit was made in Australia, we unloaded it all out of containers from Asia.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

We stored all the shop fit out stuff at work, not one single piece of that store fit was made in Australia, we unloaded it all out of containers from Asia.

Why does that not surprise me!

[fordomatic]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

We stored all the shop fit out stuff at work, not one single piece of that store fit was made in Australia, we unloaded it all out of containers from Asia.

As if an offshore company cares about Australia, If i were a big businessman looking to make as much money as i could i wouldn't buy products from Australia either.

[V8Crazy]

I like the 3kg boneless slabs of Lamb/Pork/Beef for $30 - Makes for a friggen big roast (and the 1ltr bottles of Nandos peri peri sauce)

That and the big box's of Pop Tarts (and of course the bulk Chocolate isle)

[104ord]

The used an Aussie chopper pilot surely

[nstg8a]

That chopper must have cost them mega dollars, they had that thing playing crane for a couple of weeks I think.

[104ord]

That's how they got the big pop tarts in^^^

[Blue Oval Mopar Man]

I hauled alot of dirt in and out of that place over the last 6 months !

[Bucknaked]

You can actually go in through the week and have a look. But until you join, you cant make a purchase

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

You can actually go in through the week and have a look. But until you join, you cant make a purchase

If you join, take a walk around then find it isn't for you just go to the service desk on the way out and they will refund your membership. Before I was a member I went with my friend and the lady at the entrance was turning a heap of people away who just wanted a sticky beak.

[csv8]

Costco works if you bulk buy with family or friends to share cost..not designed for singles..

[Yellow_Festiva]

Costco is great if you are the sort of person who likes to shop around or needs certain stuff in bulk. I got a notepad file on my phone on each of the large grocery stores to compare prices of the regular bulk stuff I buy.

One of the draw backs is that they sell a lot of branded stuff. So the discounts are not as big as you would imagine. Having said that, I'm happier paying less for bult Fountain sauces than woolies / coles homebrand stuff. To make it worth your while you need to buy a lot of other stuff to justify the joining cost.

I buy a lot of stuff to flog at school for fund raising. Sauces, drinks, pre-made foods like cakes, breads, frozen goods etc etc etc. Mrs buys school supplies from there as they are generally branded and the same price as the cheap stuff from other places.

Long life (UHT) milk is cheap - but only comes in full fat or skim :(, but the plastic cups and cutlery are expensive.

Cheap place to get lunch / dinner as well. Myself and the boss go there at dinner time before we shop and get feed for around $10.

[Giant Cranium]

Just walk in. How can they stop you? Just can't buy anything

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

Just walk in. How can they stop you? Just can't buy anything

They have staff at the entrance checking for your membership card.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

They have staff at the entrance checking for your membership card.

And they are mental about it.

In Melb once I went in with a family member, had to run to the car so I exited as you do.

Went to go back in and they wouldnt let me because I didnt have a pass even though I was in there literally 5 mins before. Had to call family member to come get me.

From then on I swore Id never go back, and Im not paying someone so I can spend money at their shop.

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by Polyal

and Im not paying someone so I can spend money at their shop.

I'm the same, point blank refuse to pay a membership just to go to a supermarket.

Although a gift card purchase would get me curious to check it out.

[gregaust]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

Just walk in. How can they stop you? Just can't buy anything

They do. We tried to have a look inside one in California , not a chance of even getting in for a look .

Now , we're all family here , who's a member ? Good place for a AFF cruise

[104ord]

I'm a member. Fuel is cheaper and it's good if you like to stock your deep freezer.
And checked out that new curved flat screen tv, bit average.
And aloooot of the products are Aussie

[Uncle Niceguy]

hey 104ord, maybe if we haggle enough they'll open a costco gym with no joining fee and only $5 per month

[Franco Cozzo]

The T-shirts from there are surprisingly good quality, nice and thick.

[Hell Cat]

I went to costco tonight for the first time.
paid the join up fee, filled up the car for $1.35 per litre, the mrs got some groceries cheap, and I got myself a "Ben Sherman" jacket for $58, I was looking at the EXACT same jacket in brisbane city on Friday night for $129.

Got bulk toilet paper and some good work gloves too.

[Hell Cat]

They also stock Omega and Tag Heuer watches. A bit strange if you ask me, why would you buy a luxury watch at costco? They were no cheaper than at a dealer