Shout loudly! You must "do this" when you go to Costco to get the best value for your money!

(source: google)

Costco is the largest membership-based warehouse-style mass merchandiser chain in the United States!

Since its establishment in 1976, it has 658 stores in 9 countries around the world, 70% of which are located in major cities in the United States, serving more than 71 million members worldwide. Currently, Costco has expanded to 10 stores in Taiwan. Every holiday, it always attracts a large number of members bringing their families to the stores to make purchases. How much do Taiwanese people love visiting this American-style mass merchandise store? This can be proven by the fact that the Taipei Neihu store once ranked second in the world in terms of single store profit.

As long as you pay for a membership card, you can pass freely in Costco stores around the world,

and purchase products on the shelves. In the United States, Costco sells boats and coffins.

Although the products sold in Taiwan are not the same as those abroad, they range from cheap toilet paper to expensive diamonds.

Coupled with the store's optical glasses department, tire repair center, photo development service, hearing center and pharmacy, etc.,

The products are all-inclusive and almost everything you need. Sean, a food blogger who once shared his Costco shopping experience on his blog, believes that buying American representative products at Costco is usually cheaper than at ordinary stores. The most important thing when buying things is being smart. You can learn more about good products by shopping more.

Since Taiwanese people love Costco so much, here is a summary of 10 things you must know when visiting Costco.

Let everyone shop smartly. (source: google)

1. The membership fee is actually not expensive. Costco is a membership-based store. If people want to enter the store to make purchases,

they must first pay an annual fee of 1,200 yuan to become a Gold Star member. In addition to With 1 main card,

you can also get a family card with no annual fee (limited to spouses, parents, brothers and sisters, children over 18 years old or family members living together).

Some people cannot accept that "you have to pay before you consume", but in fact membership fees protect members' rights and services,

and it is actually quite cost-effective. Sean shared that many of Costco's products are cheaper than other sales outlets.

The price difference saved is equivalent to 0 membership fees.

"Like toilet paper and baby diapers, which are fixed expenses for small families, the quantity If you buy more, plus the promotion, the price difference will be 1,000 yuan."

In addition, if members are not satisfied, they can apply for a refund of the membership fee,

and get the full amount back. The money paid in the current year can only be refunded twice in a lifetime.

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2. Use co-branded cards and Doli Gold to save more money in stores. Only cash or co-branded cards and American Express cards are accepted.

And members The card and credit card must be from the same cardholder. Currently, the only Costco co-branded card on the market in Taiwan is issued by Cathay Pacific Bank.

Use the co-branded card to make purchases at Costco stores across Taiwan.

The amount of a single card swipe For every 100 yuan spent, you can accumulate 1 yuan of Costco gold.

For other general consumption outside the store, for every 200 yuan of single card payment, you can also accumulate 1 yuan of Costco gold.

After accumulating multiple bonuses, from August 1st to September 30th every year at all Costco stores in Taiwan,

can be directly redeemed for credit card usage, and other discount periods will be opened from time to time. In addition, you can also The annual membership fee can be discounted when renewing.

Every 1 yuan of Costco gold can be discounted to 1 yuan of consumption, which is very cost-effective!

But unfortunately, the co-branded card cannot accumulate extra points at Costco stores outside Taiwan.

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3. For members, Costco’s “100% risk-free satisfaction guarantee” is the most beneficial benefit for members if they are not satisfied.

Under this guarantee, in addition to the products sold in the store, in addition to the original manufacturer's warranty,

If the product is defective or the member is not satisfied, a full refund can be provided.

Even if the food has been unpacked and eaten, consumers can get a refund as long as they are not satisfied with the taste.

Please note that TVs, computers, cameras, camcorders, tablets, MP3 players and mobile phones are subject to a 90-day return guarantee. When returning goods, if the product invoice and receipt are lost,

Remember to bring your membership card; if there is a unified number on the invoice, you must bring the company invoice stamp; if the account is settled by card, the return must match the original credit card.

(source: google)

4. Private brands have high CP value

Kirkland Signature is Costco’s own brand,

From food, vitamins, glasses , clothing, furniture, cleaning supplies to paper supplies, the product line is everything.

And most of them are entrusted to large factories around the world. The quality is good and the price is relatively cheap.

For example, there are coffee beans roasted by Starbucks in the United States, and tea bags imported by Itoen in Japan.

Members only need to pay the volume price to buy them. to the good stuff. Sean described Kirkland Signature's products as "cheap and big bowls".

The CP value is very high. He cited the cast iron pot he bought as an example. It is easy to use and looks as good as a well-known brand.

The price is less than 2,000 yuan, which is great value for money.

5. Many imported goods are sold exclusively here

Unlike ordinary stores, 40% of the goods displayed at Costco are imported.

Especially vitamin products imported from the United States are difficult for Taiwanese consumers to buy elsewhere. Sean said,

Many of Costco’s exclusive products are non-resident products, which will appear in the store from time to time and without notice.

And they will be gone when they are sold out. This is also It will encourage some members to visit the store at least once a month,

or pay close attention to real-time sharing from fellow netizens. Although some imported products are not sold exclusively,

there are "pop-up events" similar to limited-time promotions from time to time,

such as Timberland's yellow boots, Camper's casual shoes, etc. The price is almost 50% to 60% off the general market price.

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6. Large packaging is more suitable for family and friends to buy together

Costco’s products are sold in large packaging, which has the advantage of saving packaging costs.

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Effectively reduce costs, and then give back to customers at cheap prices,

But in this way, it is not close to the needs of singles and small families,

Especially Foods with a short shelf life are easy to buy in large quantities but not finish, resulting in a waste.

Therefore, it is best to confirm the shelf life of the product before purchasing.

You can consider moving home the biscuits that can be stored for 1 year, but if you cannot finish the 2 cookies within the shelf life, Don't take liters of fresh milk.

The smartest way to consume is to share it with family and friends, and finish it as quickly as possible.

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7. Wines can satisfy all types of customers

Costco is the largest wine retailer in the United States, and its red wine purchasing team is quite influential in the global market.

Strong bargaining power, the store has a full range of wines,

ranging from cheap wines priced at 200 to 300 yuan, to high-end wines priced at several thousand yuan On display,

You can see wines produced from France, Chile, Italy, Australia, South Africa and other countries around the world.

Most of them are imported by Costco, including its own brand Kirkland Signature. It also sells wine,

and has a certain reputation. In addition, we have recently purchased from domestic wine merchants, offering a wide range of choices.

Whether it is red, white wine or beer, when wine is on sale, it is especially cost-effective for wine lovers to buy it by the box.

8. Delicatessen and fresh food are quite competitive

The catering department’s deli items include pizza, turkey sandwiches, beef rolls, etc.

It is a popular restaurant for many people. It’s a stop you won’t miss when visiting the store, Sean said with a smile,

“It’s delicious, filling, and there’s Coke on the side for everyone to drink!” As for the fresh meat items,

He recommends beef. In addition, although Taiwan is a kingdom of fruits, there are still some fruit varieties that cannot be cultivated locally.

They are relatively difficult to obtain, such as blueberries, raspberries, etc.

Usually, most of them can only be seen in general stores. It is difficult to buy this kind of imported "fruit" at vegetable markets or fruit stalls.

Costco sells it; Local seasonal fruits will also be purchased in large quantities from fruit farmers across Taiwan and then sold to members at a low price.

9. Observe other people’s carts to find good products

Sean shared that when shopping at Costco, in addition to shopping for products on the shelves,

you might as well also pay attention to others What products are on the shopping carts?

"If the same product appears on many people's shopping carts, there are two possibilities.

One is that the product is in the shopping cart. Special price, the other one is a product with good reviews,

It is reasonable to infer that it should be worth buying.

"

He said with a smile that often when queuing up to check out, someone from behind would suddenly tap his shoulder, point to the goods on the cart and ask:

"Sir, what is that? Is that good? ”

Next time, if you go to Costco, you might as well try asking other consumers.

This is how good things are often found on someone else’s cart! (source: google) ?

10. It is most comfortable to go shopping when the store is open

Taiwan Costco store business hours are from 10 am to 9:30 pm from Monday to Sunday.

A separate announcement will be made during the Spring Festival. Usually everyone goes shopping by car.

Every holiday, it is hard to find a parking lot, and it is even more crowded when entering the store.

Especially when encountering Zhongyuan Pu During special festivals such as Mid-Autumn Festival or Spring Festival,

If the purchase time is not arranged in advance, the "disaster" will definitely be unimaginable.

Generally, the crowds on weekdays will be less than on holidays. If you really only have time to buy during holidays

, it is recommended to go in as soon as the store opens. Usually the first hour of business is not crowded. There are many, and it is the most comfortable to go shopping.

Original source: vlifeapp