In short, I don't get it. What's the appeal? I get the business model – Acquired has a very nice [episode about Costco](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/costco) – but as a consumer of the Costco experience I find it wanting. A trip to Costco involves: - A drive, to and from - Finding parking - Waiting in line to enter, because you have to show your membership at the door. This is a bottleneck when crowded. - Finding what you want to buy in a massive store - Waiting in line to check out - Waiting in line to leave, because they want to check your receipt Some elements of the list are only an issue when Costco is crowded, but _it's always crowded_[^1]. At least the 2 Costcos within 30m drive of my home are. [^1]: In Taiwan, Costco is _very popular_. You will find yourself waiting inline _on a weekday_. Your local Costco might not suffer from such brisk business. # Why do people go to Costco? **Price?** The obvious answer is price. Costco offers things many people would normally buy but at a cheaper _unit price_. That makes sense in theory but I suspect that in practice people don't end up saving money, ==they just buy more and/or consume faster==. However, even if it is cheaper, the cost outlined above still seems like a really high bar to clear. A Costco trip takes _a long time_. Are the dubious cost savings really worth that much of your time? I say no, not by a long shot. **Quality?** Costco does have some good stuff. I just bought[^2][^3] a bunch of salmon and judging by my past purchases it will be delicious. The unit price is also lower than my local supermarket. [^2]: Yes, I do still go to Costco occasionally. I admit to a certain curiosity over what they stock, but I also like their fruit, vegetables and meats. Things they don't let you buy online. Still, I only go a few times a year. Perhaps once every 2-3 months. But most importantly, I don't _enjoy_ it, which is what I wrote this post about. Some people actually like the experience of going to Costco. [^3]: The membership belongs to my wife, and she gets it through her family somehow. We do not pay for the membership ourselves. Nothing against Costco, but I feel I need to make this clear since I'm more or less advocating not to go to Costco in person. However, I'll almost certainly eat more salmon more quickly than normal after this purchase, which negates (and even reverses) any cost savings. --- My guess is simply that people value theoretical cost savings over their time. I've seen this play out in real life when people wait in line for some discount rather than paying full price—The wait is a cost too, but they don't see it that way.