From a Family’s Perspective
Some things, like oysters, are acquired tastes. Others, like chocolate, inspire instantaneous devotion. Costco falls into the latter category. The buzz about Costco had reached deafening proportions before I decided to give it a go and check it out myself. The noise began as chatter when we lived in Southern California in the early Nineties. There was talk of a Price Club, a members-only warehouse and precursor to Costco that featured bargains on bulk items. As part of a two-member household, there wasn’t much attraction to such an operation.
Fast-forward a couple of years, and I note the frequency with which my sister in Oregon mentions Costco. As in, “I love Costco.” And “I got this at Costco.” And “I can’t wait to get to Costco.” Hers is a household of four, and mine had grown to three, but still I was wary of its charms. Besides the daunting prospect of purchasing 12 rolls of paper towels at a time, by this time Sam’s Clubs and Wal-Marts were taking over the world, and my indifference toward discount warehouses had turned to animosity amid tales of local merchants being driven out of business, wages for workers that left many employees at poverty levels, and an absence of health benefits. It wasn’t until 2004 that I ventured into a Costco for the first time, accompanying my sister who was visiting from Oregon.
Certainly the prices are the primary draw, and steeply discounted prices are in evidence everywhere. But cheap alone won’t win devoted customers; who feels deep loyalty to a 99 cent store? Quality matters, too. From the clothing section – where 7 for All Mankind jeans were on sale for around $87 (not cheap by any standards, but cheaper than the $140-plus price you can expect to pay elsewhere) – to the coffee aisle – where Ruta Maya Organic Coffee sells for $5.22 a pound – the finest products are peddled.
Your conscience is assuaged knowing that you’re shopping at what The New York Times referred to as the “Anti-Wal-Mart,” where the average worker pay is $17 an hour, 42% higher than that of Sam’s Club. In addition, employees enjoy a generous health plan, 92% of which is footed by the company. All of which led Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank to complain that at Costco, “It’s better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder.” Sounds like nonsense, since Costco’s stock price rose more than 10% in 2005, while Wal-Mart’s slipped 5%. Costco shares sell for almost 23 times expected earnings; at Wal-Mart, the multiple is about 19.
Full Circle, an all-volunteer group of Austin citizens concerned about the economic; social; and environmental consequences of increased big-box development by national retail chains (notably Wal-Mart), calls Costco the “Ben & Jerry’s of the big-box world,” applauding its 14% store markup cap; its developing policy to consider and incorporate social and environmental factors in the store-site selection process; and its nondiscrimination policy that provides health benefits for domestic partners regardless of gender. Why, shopping at Costco is practically a patriotic act!
If you’re a home cook, it’s an act of good taste, too. Despite running a household of four now, I regularly shop at Costco and find quantities that suit our one-refrigerator, no-pantry home. It’s where I’ve recently purchased wild Alaskan halibut for $9.99 a pound – you read that right – cut in portions ranging from 11/4-pound pieces to filets of more than 2 pounds. My Christmas dinner entrée is in the freezer: a 101/4-pound whole New York strip roast that I picked up for $5.45 a pound. I’m getting a dinner party for six and a holiday meal for 12 for $54 and change.
That Ruta Maya Coffee I referred to at that insane price is the very same cooperatively farmed organic coffee that is roasted right here in Austin. The coffee is sold in 2.2-pound bags, which for regular coffee drinkers is not an excessive size. Partnering with local vendors is part of the Costco philosophy: They work with local businesses to bring unusual, local, and high-quality goods to the warehouse. I now am able to purchase the beloved Fischer & Wieser Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce produced up the road in Fredericksburg in 40-ounce bottles for $6.69.
And the produce! High-quality stuff that makes upping your fruit and vegetable intake a pleasure. We’ve been indulging in weekly hauls of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. And these are premium Driscoll’s berries, as fragrant and delicious as found in any of our boutique grocers – of which I am a fan – but at lower costs. I scored 2 pounds of strawberries for $5.99, 18 ounces of blackberries for $4.99, and 18 ounces of blueberries for $7.49. And you know those sweet little haricots verts you love for their ease of preparation, beauty, and delicate flavor? You can pick up a 2-pound bag of trimmed beans for $5.99. Not to mention the bargains on red, yellow, and orange peppers (bags of six for $6.45), organic spring mix (1 pound for $3.99), and on and on. Obviously, the selection and price is dependent on seasonal circumstances over which even Costco has no control. But it’s the rare visit that I don’t find some fruit and veggies to take home and of which we make short work.
Despite the modest size of our family, we find 2 pounds of cheddar to be just about right. Especially when it’s Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar for $7.99. Our house salad, served several nights a week in this home, consists of greens topped with pears or strawberries (depending on the season), blue-cheese crumbles (an 18-ounce tub of crumbles sells for $4.49), and toasted pecans. All of which I am able to procure at reasonable rates, making it a gourmet salad I can afford to serve daily.
When cooking isn’t in the cards, due to time or inclination, I grab the rotisserie chicken that the late, great Julia Child deemed the best in the land for a mere $4.99. A quick cook of some of those luscious little green beans, a toss of the house salad, and you’ve got a meal that’ll pass muster under the most intense scrutiny.
Each cook will find her own treasure in the cavernous repository to satisfy the specific cravings of her household. If you’ve acquired a taste for olives or natural peanut butter, brie or organic milk, asparagus or sweet peppers, households of two or 20 will be able to indulge, affordably.
This article appears in December 22 • 2006.