Costco

Costco is to SAMs what Target is to Walmart. Well before Target started to let guys pee in the ladies room. With two growing kids, we shop here a lot. I love the ever changing selection they have and their return policy is outstanding. Be sure and try the rotisserie chicken and don’t forget sample days on most weekends.

I have only been coming to Costco for a few months, and didn’t expect to almost fully convert over from Publix but I have. The Brandon Costco is the only one I have visited but the product quality, selection, and quick inventory turnover (each Sat morn has entirely new grocery items, patio furniture, tv deals, etc), very lenient return policy and helpful staff makes this place a true winner and enjoyable shopping experience.
A few weeks back when doing some tv shopping around town I talked to the staff in Costco’s electronics area. The very direct, honest product info I received was a stark contrast to the sleek demos and marketing used by others (Best Buy in particular). I not only zeroed in on the best product for me within minutes, but saved several hundred dollars due to an in store rebate and the fact that Costco embeds its warranties for free (which others charge $ 100+ for). I can’t say enough about how much I recommend Costco for tv and other electronics.
I might only have a $ 5 rotisserie chicken in mind, but end up finding a handful of other groceries. All of which I both pay the minimum amount in terms of unit cost and enjoy knowing I did the most from a human rights/​social responsibility perspective (given Costco’s best in class treatment of employees, incl. highest wages, benefits, and job tenure). Yes, I wrote a business case years ago on Costco and have a bias of admiring then upfront. However I admire them more know as an executive card member and weekly shopper.

Even though this particular Costco is always crowded (ok, pretty much all Costcos are these days), it’s also one of the most efficient and friendly ones I’ve ever been to.
I live in St Pete but work in Brandon, and this one is way more convenient for me to go to instead of Clearwater. I head there on my hour long lunch break to pick up items and I’m always back in time — this is after getting gas, completing my shopping, and grabbing something from the snack bar for lunch.
I find it easier to just park at the back of the lot (near the gas pumps) and walk instead of fighting that parking lot traffic close up. The employees at this location are so friendly (one lady saved me $ 8 by mentioning the windshield wipers were about to go on sale the very next day!)
While its a pain to lug five pounds of pork loin and a 3 month supply of spinach into the work fridge till its time to go home for the day, it’s still way better than going to another location that’s not as clean or friendly!

Well what can I say about Costco. About what I would expect from this location. They have everything you would expect to be sold in bulk. Price wise is good. Only gripe I have is the lines can get really long when it gets busy but what would you expect. No self checkout anymore so you have to go to the same checkouts. I do love the samples they have when it’s early. So as long as you have their membership this place is pretty decent.

I love Costco. I come to this one in Brandon when I happen to be on the east side of Tampa, so it’s closer to where I already am.
All Costco’s are the same, but sometimes I can find an item that’s sold out at the Clearwater location that is available here and vice versa. Also, sometimes a different flavor or variation is available at this one than the one in Clearwater.
The only reason this one gets a 4 is because my cell signal isn’t good in here for data. Definite had something to do with how this bundling is made because I have no issues in any other Costco.
They are building one in walking distance from me in Westchase, so it will be difficult to justify coming to this one or Clearwater after that. However with the only Portillo’s in Florida and Mangu Latin Café being in Brandon, I’ll probably stop in when in town just to make sure I’m not missing out on anything and to make my trip to Brandon worth it.

Over and over again I am impressed by Costco staff who genuinely care what people think of their store and work hard to give their customers the best experience possible.
Sound trite? Well that’s a damn shame because it’s true. I buy as much as I can at Costco, not everything, a few things there are comparably priced with other outlets but overall, if one shops carefully, you find no other store that offers a better value on better merchandise sold on friendlier terms. No where. Costco works hard to treat their customers well and it shows.
Special cheers to Tim who has helped me through one bad situation there and did everything he could to make it better. That’s what great managers do and Tim is a great manager.

Everything thing I said before still applies, but I wanted to update my review. We continue to shop here 2 times a week at least. One of the best things is the Gas Station! The quality is great and the prices meet or beat everyone in the area. It is sometimes difficult to get there which is a downside. The selection of meats, seafood and vegetables keeps us stocked. I occasionally go to a local Publix to pick up the other things I may need, but normally Costco takes care of us. I still highly recommend this company to everyone.

I love a good company that takes care of their employees like Costco does. The goods seem to be higher quality than Sams Club anyway. It’s still a drive for me but luckily they are building one in Land O Lakes this year. The employees are very helpful and pleasant. Some of the greatest deals are with organic produce and meat. I save a good deal buying it here than somewhere like Whole Foods. I also save a good deal with personal care and health items. Who can beat a three pack of name brand Nasonex 120 sprays for about $ 26?! That was a great find but if they sold a Kirkland brand of it I would snap it up. They have great store brands at steep discounts. It may be better to shop on weekdays than weekends, because they’re usually slammed and there are bottlenecks at the sample stations where zombie-​like shoppers swoop down and grab everything. Saw a grown man almost lose his crap at a sample stand with Starbucks coffee, which was befuddling and somewhat amusing.

I like eating clean and Costco has a variety of organic options at affordable prices. I’m here at least once a week. Weekends are awesome because of all the samples. There’s always something to try around every corner and many are new organic products. Everything is always fresh and delicious.

Can’t beat the tire prices, warranty, roadside assistance warranty, free torque check on lug nuts, and free rotation, all this with the lowest tire price possible. Expect to wait. Bring a ride or walk to a nearby restaurant for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Bars are also plentiful if you like craft beer. . The word is out and they are super busy.

I swear I will not have to buy toothpaste until 2 years from now. But it’s awesome knowing I will not suddenly be caught off guard without any.
Costco offers superior quality at reasonable prices.
I especially appreciate the healthy food choices, and great deals on home items.
Yearly membership easily pays for itself.

Worth the drive. They have great prices on alcohol, cheese, and produce. They have organic items too. Plus a gas station. And the wait lines for cashiers is never too bad.

I spend a lot of time and money at Costco. I enjoy the variety of products, fair prices, and excellent return policy.
In my opinion the best value are basic goods such as eggs, milk, meats, and bread. Of course «the buy in bulk» model of business requires the consumer to eat their food before the expiration date. However, I have noticed that the milk and eggs expire much later at Costco compared to a traditional grocer.
The electronics section is extensive but some products are a bit dated especially Bose items (some items for sale are discontinued).The Dish Networks guy is always camping out near the entrance to this section and he can be aggressive. I wish I could walk through this area without being hassled. I purchased a television from Costco because of their warranty and 90 day return policy (compare to Best Buy’s 14 day policy) and was not disappointed. My TV started to malfunction on day 60 and they honored their policy with little push back.
Costco is my go-​to for most of my grocery shopping, gas, electronics purchases, and even rental cars.

When employees are treated well and paid above minimum wage. You as a consumer can see the difference. People are happy working there and they show it. Costco was one of those companies that gave raises to employees when the economy hit hard. I have respect for that. The one large difference between SAMs club and Costco is that Costco carries allot of organic bulk items. They have antibiotic single wrapped chicken breast, milk and so so many other items that you just won’t find at SAMs. Both retailers charge the same yearly rate. But Costco has another membership choice of $ 110 dollars but give back 2% on purchase at end of year.(up to 750) which causes your membership to be either discounted or free.
The other reason I love Costco is that when there are lines of people checking out they open new check out lines to try and get the crowds down. Great job Costco!

A place that has many thing you need and many ore that you may not need but buy anyways. Lunch can be as cheep as a $ 1.50 for the hot dog and soda.

The best run wholesale club in town. No comparison to the Sam’s Club in Riverview.
It is often crowded on weekends but plan accordingly. For the deals the waits are worth it.
Selection is good, service is excellent. Return policies are fair.
The hot dog/​drink deal is still the best. Other snack bar items are also good if you want food in a hurry.

If you’ve been to Costco the 5 stars are self explanatory!
The employees are nice and the store is always clean. They have excellent customer service especially when you have a return.

I have been going here for 10 years! After last night, I’ll never go back! Joining SAMs Club!

I have been a member of two other warehouse clubs and Costco is so much better it’s not even funny. Costco has their own in-​house brand called Kirkland that covers a wide variety of items. It’s high quality at a low price. My favorite thing to buy at Trader Joe’s used to be the dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar. The Kirkland version doesn’t taste quite as good as TJ’s, but that’s because the Kirkland’s version has half the sodium. Plus I can get at least three times as much for my money. I bought the Kirkland version of some vitamins. The ingredients were exactly the same as my old brand and I got double the amount for what I normally pay.
When you’re walking around on the weekends there are stations everywhere for sampling food. I recently sampled minestrone soup, chicken quesadillas, and mozzarella sticks with marinara.
The prepared foods that they make on location are delicious. So far I’ve tried the apple pie, chicken pot pie, and chocolate cake (all of which were huge). We loved all of them! Plus you can get a rotisserie chicken for $ 5.
If you’re hungry from shopping the food court sells food for laughably low prices. $ 1.50 for a quarter pound hot dog and a 20 oz soda (with free refill)? Is this a joke? $ 1 for a giant churro. $ 1.45 for a berry smoothie. The pizza is way better than other chain pizza such as Papa John’s. A huge slice will only set you back $ 2 or you can get an 18 inch pie for $ 10.
For TV’s and computers you only have 90 days to return them, but the upside is that you get access to Costco technical support. You can call someone (in the USA) for assistance. Costco also extends the manufacturer’s warranty by a significant amount. For most other items the return policy is beyond generous. I asked the cashier how long I had to return a pair of cargo shorts. She said they like you to return things within two years. I think I can handle that.
When it’s time to leave each cash register has TWO employees working at it, which speeds up the entire process significantly. The only time I’ve had an annoyingly long wait was with other customers who were having issues with their credit cards. That’s not the fault of Costco though.
The gas prices are great. In fact I recently read that
named Costco the best value for gas for the third year in a row. There are also other services such as a pharmacy, travel agency, car buying assistance, etc.
I don’t see myself ever leaving Costco.

This is the only Costco I’ve been to that isn’t a complete madhouse on the weekend. I’ve only been on Saturdays and Sundays and it’s not dead but not crazy busy.
My love for Costco has no bounds. Where else can I skip lunch and instead fill up on free samples? Where else can I stock my toilet paper supply for the next 3 months? Where else can I get a footlong hot dog and soda for $ 1.50 (this price hasn’t changed in 20+ years and that makes me happy). It’s well worth the $ 50/​year membership fee once you add up the savings.
Their meat section is phenomenal and you can’t beat the prices. You’ll find wine for much less than in the grocery store (can’t beat $ 7.99 for Mark West Pinot Noir). And no trip to Costco is complete without grabbing a deliciously moist $ 4.99 rotisserie chicken.
But be warned: it’s easy to get carried away. You will find everything you need here (in three times the size you’d normally find it) as well as plenty of tempting impulse buys. It’s like Target on steroids.