I was at Costco Docklands today. Most of the things were so expensive. I saw a Sony 65" at 970 or so but that was it. Maybe Alcohol was cheap as there were many people buying it.
Milk was 1.9 a litre!
Is my experience out of the ordinary?
PS: Here is someone else's findings from 2016. She found Costco was cheaper than Aldi on those items.
This is the key thing. The quality of products (and variety from standard Coles/WW products) is refreshing.
It's not cheap on a per product basis but can be cheaper through volume if you go through that much. Great value for larger families but singles or couples aren't necessarily going to save money there. Also, their hot rotisserie chickens are fantastic!
I find their chickens bland and not worth the 6 bucks. Coles and Woolies do them heaps better.
they are good in my opinion. and also they are 7 bucks now.
Their chickens are absolutely horrific from my experience.
Quite literally the worst hot chicken I've ever tasted in my life.
any examples? quality wise?
meat is excellent….
Yeah that's true. Not sure if they're cheaper though
@JimmyF: if you're paying for membership to get the choice i'd say you'd silly. Same choice can be made else where free of charge
@cloudy: Sure, list these places that have the same quality of meat for the same prices as costco and I'll happily give up my membership
(you know I buy other things from there too, its pretty easy to get $60/yr savings to cover the membership when costco is only 5 mins from your house).
@cloudy: Last time I checked, you can Quit
(but also lose Warranty protection)
1 day or 2 B4 your membership expires
(Your $55 or $60 is Refunded)
The reJoin in a few days, if you wish
Do it "too often" & they don't have to let you reJoin, I think
Have a good reason to Quit, each time:
Job Change, General Dissatisfaction,
Starting a Year O'seas, etc.
@djmm: Yes they are cheap if you got freezer, we buy for restaurant cheap then supplier but buying as box.it is cheaper then outside showcase price.
Fruits (specifically apples and pears) are tasty (crisp and sweet) consistently.
Royal Gala apples are my pick at the Markets.
Crunchy fragrant goodness!
Quality is hard to compare if they have different brands.
They had good dumplings and were offering free samples. But they had just one brand. WW has 30+ listed here.
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/search/products?searchTer…
They have India Gate Basmati Exotic 5kg for 15 AUD. WW and Coles is selling it for 20 AUD now. But I have bought it for 12 AUD multiple times.
$12.49 here https://easygrocery.com.au/product/dailyneeds/rice/india-gat…
Coles sells tip top Bread for 3.4 AUD. Costco has 2 bread in same pack for 7 AUD. This is 20 cents more.
You know that store brand loaf bread is also made by tip top etc? Just don't buy the cheapest one because the recipe is crap.
The Kirkland/Ito En collab green tea is good.
That's real Japanese green tea bags and usually cheaper (per bag) than asian groceries.
That said, it is cheaper to just buy loose leaf Japanese green tea from the asian grocery.
It is not cheaper than regular supermarket green tea, but there is no good supermarket green tea option.
catering quality rolls of foil / glad wrap are wider and a lot stronger. Garbage bags are cheap for the quality.
It has to be good quality, 'cause - as long as you
don't interrupt your Membership -
CostCo's warranty is essentially "endless"
There may be exceptions…
For those, who drive Lotsa Km's in a "Fossil-car"
Cheap Fuel can make it pay to shop there
Costco is on the way home for me, so the fuel savings alone are worth it.
When fuel is cheap in Sydney it isn't a major saving, but they don't tend to fluctuate nearly as much or as high as almost every other petrol station.
Last week I think the difference was about 27c a litre.($1.60 at 7/11 vs $1.33 at Costco)
Cotsco fuel savings is meh, 7-Eleven interstate fuel still beats them by miles.
@lgacb08: @Igacb08 I'd like to learn from you where to get cheaper fuel than Costco. What I found is that occassionally local stores could be cheaper, but I'd have to spend time strolling and waiting.
@ctungq: Start subscribe to the 7-Eleven fuel thread in automotive forum and go from there. Before the fuel rise earlier this year i almost never pay for more than $1.2 per litre, this year it's been slowly creeping up like everywhere but I don't think I pay over $1.35,and very occasionally pay that price for u98.
Went past cotsco coupples of time this year and laughed at people line up forever to pay 5c per litre dearer than I just did.
@lgacb08: Hi lgacb08,
Can you please give us the url link to this 7-Eleven fuel thread in automotive forum ?
I am having a hard time finding it.
The best I can do is this and I do not know which one you are referring to.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/search/node/7%20eleven%20catego…
Thanks a million.
@Lurker: Currently it's in the top of the second page in automotive section, ozbargain search is pretty useless. That post is consistently within the hot forum topic too. But mind you it has like over 50 pages so need a bit of browsing to spot what you need
I am not sure fuel that good because I fill up few time tank and average per litre not like other petro station fuel.
@serpserpserp: It was 1 km to 2km less per litre, I tried 3 times and it was not use any air conditioning.
Warranty is no longer as you describe. Now they want the customer to call the manufacture and get the RMA before returning. I had problems returning unopened box of contigo water bottle as it was bought "more than a month ago"… I had to challenge the rep and asked for the manager before I get the refund. Not something I enjoy.
Fuel is definitely worth it. Pump card verification system is pain in the ….it is so slow.
Like any shop you have to know your prices. Some things cost more than Coles/Woolies, some things less. Much of what I buy from there are things that aren't available elsewhere.
Realized this fact at least 2 years ago, while most of the items are slightly cheaper than Collies due to their bulk packaging, i found out that during Colies' half price specials (happen almost every other 2-3weeks) are cheaper than Costco. Therefore YMMV. re their Kirkland signature things, you gotta check their country of manufacturer properly before purchasing, those can be cheaper for a reason as well. Cheers and Merry Christmas.
I buy 90% things from Aldi and rest from Coles/WW. Colesworth are unbeatable when at 50%.
Colesworth are unbeatable when at 50%.
WRONG.
Colesworth are unbeatable when at 50% and you have 25+% flybuys/wowrewards incentive.
And use the gift cards bought at 5% off (or more, eg eBay UK deals)
And have a free credit card with its own rewards point system.
I agree we Coles specials beat Costco everyday of the week and don't need to buy 10x the amount.
Plus the membership fee no thanks.
Best value thing there is the fast food shop and the roast chickens
I love the massive pizzass!
How's the roast chick compared to Coles?
Roast chicken is wayy better than Coles, and huge! Well, Costco is cheaper at this then..
It depends on what you are looking for. Electrical goods I've found are often cheaper than elsewhere, the Apple products are, usually, $30 less than retail - and not a lot of places drop Apple down that much. I've found the Philips pasta maker was, generally, cheaper than elsewhere. If you look at something like the Devondale UHT milk, which I use for making Yogurt, it is currently about $1.20 for a litre here and $1.45 at Coles. Noble One 375 is $25 here and $32 per bottle at Dan's. The issue with Costco is more that you need to buy a huge quantity of something - rather than the cost. The real cheap stuff at Costco is in the scratch and dent area.
Sony TV seems to be quite cheap. Cast iron was very expensive compared to Aldi/Crofton.
Brita jugs are cheaper on Groupon.
Maybe the cast iron was better quality at Costco. They tend to go for brand names. I haven’t seen a lot of recalls from Costco. Aldi, there’s been quite a few.
Yep I remember the hep-c outbreaks in frozen berries, and Costco was largely unaffected whilst everyone else had a large recall list. Has stuck with me ever since
costco does have a pack of brita filters though
Essentially Costco is only cheap if you must have name branded products..
If you froth home brand products/aldi then Costco is not cheap.
Their cafe is cheap though. I got a 1 year membership, used it twice for food in the store, used it about 30 times across the next 3 years to access the cafe. I know you can probs get in without it, its just much easier with it..
what cafe?
The cafeteria? The one that's outside the store entrance? The one that's open to everyone?
Yes that one, I have been asked to provide my card when entering to go to the cafe. Maybe its just a Docklands Costco thing…
If the majors had 0 promos, Costco is cheap. They match The big 2s super promos and then have bulk of a lot which is cheaper. Liquor is regularly cheaper as it is imported by themselves a lot in bulk. 50+% of the time I can but the same product cheaper at the big 2 if buying during their promo cycle.
Yeah. Costco isn’t cheap at all, you have Costco fan boys who talk themselves into thinking it’s cheaper to justify their membership. The fuel is ok when the cycle is high but that’s about it.
No, Costco is not cheap - at least, generally not cheaper than supermarkets especially if you are a sale/clearance type shopper. It might work out to be more economical if you are shopping as part of a group eg large family, group of friends sharing etc.
Some of their products are excellent. I found their salmon and sweet potato dry dog kibble to be equally as good as premium brands such as Meals for Mutts or Blackhawk (according to the ingredients on the label - I didn't taste test it but the boys did and gave it the woof of approval), and much cheaper. However, lots of other shoppers obviously thought it was a great deal too because they rarely had it in stock at Costco Ringwood. The sales assistant told me that it flies off the shelf as soon as they get an order in. So, a 30 min drive, chaos in the parking bays and no guarantee of what I want on the shelf…. along with no particular bargains. It wasn't a winner for me.
Second the dry kibble. My mutts love it and always have good solid poops.
Little bit of a review here
https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/dry-dog-food/kirkland-sign…
We only bath the dogs maybe 3 times a year. Lots of beach and creek trips, and they always have beautiful coats and never smell
it's like bigw, cheapest everyday price. Not cheapest ever.
true ozbargainer will be unaffected. except maybe petrol
Petrol, hot chooks, hotdogs, pizza, liquor deals, good quality floral bouquets, availability of Nth American brands such as Downy laundry liquid/ Canada Dry and bulk candy/choccies make the membership worth it for me. Plus I enjoy partaking in the free samples while I’m wandering around!
One thing I will say about Costco - don't get attached to any particular brand or product. We've lost track of how many times we've gone back for something and they no longer stock it, replacing it with something similar.
I really don't understand people sometimes.
I saw an article recently, basically it claims Amazon.com.au is a big fat failure because its just not cheap.
The problem is that the writer seemed to feel that if every item they ever want to buy is not cheaper on Amazon, then the whole store is pointless.
Imagine if people shopped that way at other stores?
The fact is that you still need to be informed and shop around.
Costco - just like Amazon - can have great deals, when they are having a deal.
You just can't assume that they will always be cheapest for everything.
I wouldn't mix Amazon and Costco from its origins in the USA.
Amazon did offer a variety of items with warranty and support (world wide delivery) at fair prices.
Costco did offer bulk buying of a variety of items at reduced prices.
I am a member of Costco Australia and never found the variety and quality I experienced in Costco USA (California).
Pricing in general is average, special offers are very good but scarce.
Unusual items like a ~$400 Halloween "sculpture". What?
French chocolates 2Kg at $15(?) are good.
Croissants are OK, tasty but huge (American size?).
Fuel is cheap!!
I saw an article recently, basically it claims Amazon.com.au is a big fat failure because its just not cheap.
I saw someone make the same argument on this website.
I read that too. The problem with that train of thought is that Amazon is only just getting started in Australia. If/when they get their shit together…….
These expectations come from people’s experience with those stores in the US. Fair enough. You would expect the same experience globally.
I like Costco for specific products: frozen fruit like blueberries. Cheapest of anywhere I have looked (including bulk shipping) and good quality. Certain bottled sauces are very good and much cheaper than supermarkets. Canned chili is always around $2.40 while standard supermarket price is $4. Fuel, if I can be bothered lining up. I never do so on weekends. Certain vitamins. Their large cheesecakes are good and cheap, as are the pizzas. Green tea bags are excellent.
I go in, get my 10 or so products, and head out. I ignore 99% of what's in Costco as the prices are often no better than supermarkets, and you're often forced to buy huge jars that go to waste.
Interested to know the price of frozen blueberries. Is it from Chile?
$6.35 per kilo for normal blueberries, $11.30ish for organic. Both grown in the USA, and almost always very good quality. I'm a bit of a blueberry fanatic and eat over a kilo per week.
Oh, and forgot to add maple syrup to the list. Cheapest I have ever seen and good quality.
they're also organic
I find it’s not cheap for me because I’m shopping for myself and most stuff there is bulk purchase .
Also 20 min drive to get there so it’s not worth it for me
I like Costco because of the items they stock and variety not the price. Their toilet rolls are huge, like toilet rolls used to be, the paper towel is higher, but narrower sheets which is a much more efficient size.
I bought a telescope from there that was cheap, I bought my airfryer there the other day and it was 100 dollars cheaper than anywhere else.
They have great cakes too :D
Yeah most of the stuff isn't cheap.
They rely on creating an illusion for the shopper, they use lots of mind games such as making the place look like a warehouse and skewing your perception of size.
Like others here, the appeal to me is that they have unusual products you can't find elsewhere.
Occasionally there will be something that's a good price (we've seen a few bargains posted here) but I'd say overall it's not cheap. Especially when you have to buy 5 times more of each product that you would otherwise. I like doing $50 shops at the supermarket but at Costco you're looking at spending much more with a general shop.
More than happy for people to think Costco is a “rip off”, if it reduces the queues at the cash register. I’ll stop posting Costco deals here just to accelerate the process. Nothing to see here, the petrol and alcohol aren’t cheaper, they don’t have regular tastings on specials, their brand items aren’t cheaper and the scratch and dent area is a waste of time. Now, we’ve cleared out the room the rest of us can just, quietly, shop.
don’t be grumpy just try to be helpful
I just get annoyed with people who don't shop there put forth an opinion when they don't know what they are talking about. It was more tongue in cheek because we do tend to avoid Costco on the weekends because the queues can be quite long.
merry christmas
Costco's profit is almost equal to its membership fees, so it is more or less selling everything at cost (cost of goods + overheads).
Other brands/stores give the appearance of being cheap with BS discounts. e.g. Cadbury at supermarkets
Other brands/stores give the appearance of being cheap with BS discounts
When people say cheap, they mean for themselves, not the population on average. You are right about Costco profit per member being ~membership fees. For Coles/WOW spend that equates to roughly $1500 spend (~net margin).
Coles/WOW average profit margin is ~4%, but much higher for general shoppers and probably negative 25% or more for savvy shoppers, who can't achieve this at Costco. So Costco is not cheap for me.
There's also a separate issue of access and efficiency getting in and out of store for me.
Also assumes they have sufficient scale vs C/W and Aldi, which they don't. Also they are in growth phase.
Costco's profit is almost equal to its membership fees, so it is more or less selling everything at cost
I find that very hard to believe considering how many of the items are similarly priced (+/- 5%) in Woolies or Coles. Costco would be buying at similar or better scale than either of the major supermarkets so once you include their membership charges they would be significantly more profitable by my estimation.
They will just be offshoring their profits. Lift the cost price so profits return to the parent.
Costco would be buying at similar or better scale than either of the major supermarkets
You forget that the supermarket business is mainly a local one. Costco Australia's scale would be piddly compared to the majors.
Look out for .97 listings as they are the items being run out or discounted. As others have said. You have to know your prices and do your research. It's not much cheaper then elsewhere. Meat is good and is slightly cheaper from our experience. Petrol prices good as I am on premium, so a lot cheaper then elsewhere for me. I go in get petrol and maybe have a hot doc and soda.
That interests me. Do you happen to know Coles/Woolworths' pricing practices in regards to specials and super specials? Or do they not follow an obvious system like you mention Costco do?
have a hot doc
any hot nurses?
Might be hot Optometrists
What's special about the hotdogs anyway
@capslock janitor: It's $1.99 with a large Soda. You can have relish, oinin, ketchup and mustard on it. Drink refillable
Costco is about the shopping experience and not about being the cheapest.
It doesn't even advertise itself as being the cheapest like Aldi does.
Maybe Alcohol was cheap as there were many people buying it.
How much investigating did you do?
Sounds like it wasn’t very thorough.
Otherwise you would realise what people have already said.
-Can’t beat the 50% off prices at colesworth
Reminds me of when I overhead some guy at Queen Victoria market scoff and exclaim: “These prices aren’t cheap!”
It’s not really cheap but the quality is good.
Also if you have access to Costco petrol then the saving from that will be enough.
Not everything is super cheap, but some of it is amazing value.
I have found the quality of their products to be excellent!