Good shop with few samples on the weekend. Good for big families or parties.
I love their bulgogi roll in the cafe and the pickle sauce.
This review is for there tire centre! Cheapest price ! Great service and large range of products! The guys there were very helpful and did all the work while I shopped Up stairs! Brilliant after care service, had a puncture ( screw in the tire of my SUV) repaired free of charge 6months after purchase, and a check of tire pressure's whenever I shop there! If your after tires these guys were great! Highly recommend!
The price rise in Costco over the last two years has been very high. Costco Dog food went from $28 to nearly $60 over a few years. Aussie get screwed on food prices but I really notice how Costco have joined in ripping us off.
Is it still worth the membership fee?
Used to love them, now Im starting to question tier value
Approximate cost: $250
Awesome wonderful variety! Love the membership benefits and the prices are awesome! great place!
This place is huge , Everything from Sports gear, Electricial, clothing, books, cleaning gear to meat and vegies, bread and cakes and lots of frozen products. so allow yourself plenty of time. Have a rough idea of your prices , as things can be purchused just as cheap at other supermarkets singularly and not in bulk as here. Allow yourself plenty of time to line up to get in and have your membership checked, look around, Line up again to get through register and then get your trolley checked again to get out the door, and then line up to get in the one and only lift. $60.00 membership per year.
so good if you need something in bulk (like, super bulk!)
you need to pay for membership to get in so that's a bit of a hassle - but with cheap as food on the food court and bottomless drinks it's so worth it
Once every few months my family and i head over to Costco in a few cars to stock up on household items, we have to take a few cars so we can fit all our stuff in to get it all home.
We have found the items that are a lot cheaper are toilet paper, cleaning products, snacks, fruit & veg which as family we buy in bulk and split up when we get home which makes sense rather than having to buy a factory to store all of your stock.
The Cafe they have there is great value for a HUGE slice of pizza or a hotdog so make sure you try it out before leaving.
i agree their food portion sizes are MASSIVE
If you want value you for your money then shop at Costco the go and have a snack at the own cafe it has the largest slices of Pizza with everything on it for $3.50 and free soft drink and it tastes great we have been back just for the cafe meals its great
Approximate cost: $10.00 for couple
the food is here is great and so cheap!
Being from North America I am a big fan of Costco, and this one doesn't disappoint. The best value here is the meat - and the quality is great - beautiful thick pork chops with no fat, great bacon, awesome salmon etc. They also stock really great bagels at a reasonable price and North American style cheeses which I miss from home (my husband makes jokes about the strange neon orange colour). You do have to know your prices and commit to buying in bulk, but there are some real bargains here. They miss the boat one two factors - not enough parking and the elevator you need to wait in line with to move between the parking and the store - there is always a wait. Overall great products, great variety and if you know your prices good value for money.
i find costco to be such an american concept
I went on Friday, OMG the lines for the check outs were crazy... I normally go into stock up every 4 weeks... You must know your prices as some things are the same price as when the major supermarkets have their specials (buying multiple packs)...
The trolleys are HUGE which makes you look like you havent spent that much... but it soon adds up...
It will be great when Ringwood opens as its closer to home... But I have heard that they are looking at opening one in Epping in the near future...
I enjoy costco, great value on many items! Possible Epping store, thats exciting as it will be close to home for me!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Costco! Cannot wait for the Ringwood store to open - hopefully it will open in November 2013... Always new things to buy but also the same regular things too - we always buy our toilet paper, Dove soap, washing powder, dishwasher tablets and toothpaste here and it's always heaps cheaper....
i agree you can easily spend a day here!
We shop at Costco on a regular basis - every 2-3 weeks! Absolutely love it. You definitely need to know your prices before you shop there but some things are so much cheaper. We really love walking all the aisles seeing what new things have come in - we don't just go for the groceries! The staff are really friendly and helpful too which makes it even better!
Yes I agree... It's really good.
I definitely think we're going to start doing a whole lot more shopping here in the coming months!
OK, this may seem obvious, but that is SUCH a good suggestion about knowing your prices. I've wondered whether some of the things really *ARE* cheaper--I'm going to have to start checking in advance :D
Love this store every time we go to Melbourne we have to stop in its got so many products and can buy it in bulk for really cheap I love getting bargins the shopping trolley is massive so you can fill it right up I could spend a whole day there looking at everything and after it we stop at there canteen for there yummy pizza I really want one too come to ballarat
Approximate cost: $2-$100
i've never seen a bigger shopping trolley tbh lol
It's a great place to shop! Ive actually got a business membership with Costco~ really great value, everything ves in bulk but with style & quality! haha all the big brands for less, we really need more stores like Costco and not just the one. The only thing I don't like about Costco is its little food court that offers food that is ok but not great haha I think even ikea's food court offers even more variety in food.
ikea's a bit more exotic and swedish i find
Well, I stopped thinking about it and decided to do it. Joined Costco today. The whole thing from start to finish was quite an outing - it's a drive up Footscray Road and a turn under that failed wheel. There is a large undercover car park and you have to take a ticket which gives you free for 2 hours when you put it in the gate machine on the way out. We ended up having to pay $5 as we had obviously overstayed that time. But you're so busy, you don't notice it.
You get your white trolley and go up in the huge double ended lift. Then you have to register - fill out a form - show your driver's licence and have your picture taken. They make your card on the spot. $60 for a Gold Star membership for a family with an extra card.
It's a huge warehouse - MEGA huge. Be prepared to walk a few kilometers around it while you look. Giant floor to ceiling shelves dwarf you as you wander around. In the middle are clothing, books, camping, garden etc and the parallel shelves around the outside walls have the cleaning products, homewares, food, pet gear, and then giant freezers with deserts, dairy goods etc. One wall is fresh produce in a small "cold room", then there's bakery and rows and rows of chest freezers with amazing meat.
One drawback to the largeness of the place ... there's no map to show you where things are and the aisles are numbered but not signed at the end to show you what's in them. Used up a lot of time walking up and down.
Free taste testing of so many things - yoghurt, pasta, Pad Thai noodles, bean salad etc
The cakes are enormous and good value if you have a lot of family to feed or for a function.
We got a lot of bargains here - a kilo yellow bucket of Vegemite for $11, a dozen cans of Italian diced tomatoes for $6.79, a case of mixed Whiskas cat food for $16, 36 dinner rolls for $7 ... well, you don't need to know my whole list. But buying in bulk means you do save. If you've got the storage at home, and can afford a big shop at one time, it's a winner.
They don't have the range you find at other places. There is their own brand, Kirkland from US and then maybe 2 other varieties of a coffee or a pasta sauce for example and that's it. So you might decide to take a chance on liking something of which you've just bought 6 jars and then find out it's a mistake, so choose carefully and think if you really want it or you'll stick to your normal brand.
There's a "double guarantee". If you aren't satisfied with any product they will refund in full and if you want to cancel your membership, your full fee will be refunded too.
Also have vacuum cleaners, luggage, jewellery, shoes ... you can even get your eyes tested! I also bought some lovely underwear and socks.
At the checkout you leave the heavy boxes/bottles in the trolley and they hand-scan them. We had a staff member pack our other items back into the trolley for us - don't know if that's a first time thing or is normal.
THEN you get to go to the Cafe. Hot dog and unlimited drink for around $3, huge pizza slices, good coffee for under $2. You add your own sauces and relish. Chicken salads, Spanish doughnuts and more. A medium sized bench and seat area for eating.
Then it's back down in the big lift. I can imagine a weekend would be impossible - weekday is the time to go if you can.
Then it's off home to unpack and try out some of your purchases and then trying to find a place to put the rest of them until you need them.
I'll be back to look at some other items I briefly saw and to find some stuff I didn't see today.
Almost worthy of entertaining family outing status. A must for groups and organisations or for large group gatherings and a bonus for families with savings over time even though you've spent a bit in one go.
If you want to try it out, you can go with someone who's a member first. You have to show your card at the door to get in and show your receipt which is quickly checked and marked as seen on the way out. All staff seemed knowledgeable and pleasant.
Definitely glad I made the decision to join. Wonder how long it will take the family to use the 40 extra-long toilet rolls? LOL
Approximate cost: $60 membership. First shop - around $250
$2.50 hotdogs with unlimited softdrink omg! massive pizza slices and huge yogurt too! so with their foodcourt it's great how there's unlimited condiments and onions as well to top with your hotdog, but when it's busy boy does it get busy!
the actual supermarket could be cheap, if and only if you actually need to bulk buy something that you actually use i reckon
yes great value snack foods! the pizza slices are delicious and just what you need before tackling the walk around costco!!
Great place, I've spent thousands since I got my membership, and have saved even more! Cheapest lunch in Melbourne too, hotdog and soda for $2.50!
Approximate cost: $2.50 a 'dog
we went here about 2 years ago. and i loved it. i can't wait for it to open in ringwood. Just be prepared to spend alot of money. we were only going there for toilet paper and came home with $830 worth of things. 2 years later i am still using some of the cleaning products we brought. everything there is a good brand. although most of it is in bulk its not like a 20kg jar of coffee it would be 20 jars of normal size coffee bundled together. this is good because it does not go off and you could split with your family or friends.
the food section there was also amazing it would be a great place to go to shop for a party or xmas. there were massiv platters of made up food, meats, fingers foods, huge cakes etc.
If you like to buy in bulk then this is the place or just for something different. Great for bulk junk food or larger packs of fresh meat and veggies or seafood. They have electrical, jewellery, clothing, shoes, garden items and furniture. If you are able to manage a huge trolley and pay the joining fee due yearly then give it a go. I spend way too much here but it lasts for ages as in bulk I make it up when I don't have to buy as much at supermarket. And I get some items not available locally (however have noticed this changing somewhat). If you have a friend with membership go as an observer to check it out first. The location is only downside for me, it's at docklands and parking difficult.
I would only add parking is available,free for 2 hours !!
For $60 membership, this place is well worth it if you live close by or are willing to make the trip. We always come home with a full boot. They sell everything here from food to clothing to jewellery. The chocolate section is my favourite and if you are a fan of Reese's peanut butter cups or Hershey's, then Costco would be like heaven for you. For a more healthy pick, they have large packs of dried fruit and nuts. The dried mangoes are so yummy! They also have bulk packs of bulgogi which is really well marinated if you like Korean food. I also shouldn't, but often do, take one of their rich passionfruit cheesecakes home. Prices for general items are slightly cheaper than Safeway/Coles, but pretty much everything comes in bulk packages of at least 1kg which can limit the amount of choices and room in your fridge/freezer/pantry.
There is going to be one built in Ringwood which will be closer for me and then I will check it out. Thanks for the review.
FANTASTIC!! so many items to choose from and buy in bulk in the key here, you need to know your supermarket prices before going to costco, so you can be sure you are really getting a bargain on foods
I went there for the first time and was impressed and did a bulk shop of long shelf life of groceries
the only thing I do not like about Costco is the mandatory joining fee of $60 ... but if you have a friend who is Costco member join them on the next visit, as members are allowed to bring a friend to shop there too, providing the member accompanies the non-member
looking forward to shopping there again and bringing my cold bags so i can do a good shop of the frozen foods and fill up my freezer
Costco is ok - good because buying in bulk is always cheaper and they've actually got a fairly substantial range of products. I've found that that the service is close to non existent which disappoints but you'd be hard pressed to beat it for quality and value. Easy to go crazy though and buy things that you possibly don't need (like a years worth of toilet paper), or don't need anywhere near as much, so careful not to fall into that trap!
LOVE costco. A lot of people think it's not great value for a single person like myself, but I certainly find I get good bang for my buck here. You very quickly get your membership back - it works out to $5 a month. I save that when I buy one bag of their rasberries - something I get every time. Sure as a single some of the things are just in too large packages, but there are many things I can get and use. Great for stocking up the freezer with things like chicken breasts and fish.
My mum gave us a Costco membership as a gift. This was the best gift I have ever recieved. $60 for one year - My partner and I worked out we only had to buy 5 boxes of nappies (Easy!) to make back the money for the membership.
You save soo much money here. I bought a kitchenAid for $100 less than everywhere else I looked.
Meat is VERY good quality.
Costco would be fantastic for a big family - But as we are only a family of 3 we mostly buy non-perishable things - toilet paper for example and keep in the cupboard.
You do spend a lot in 1 go but I find I go to coles/woolies a LOT less and save a lot of money.
Alcohol is much cheaper than any other store!!!
The Staff are fantastic here. They pack your trolley for you and go out of their way to help you with every question. Staff at the optical counter were very nice.
Approximate cost: $varies
Yeap i agree with you! the nappies are so cheap you definitely get your membership fee back just by buying the huggies nappies
Went there with a mate, to havea look around, have a lot of American brands, if you were after a specific item or brand you may not find it. They have a lot of taste tests of their products which is good coz you get to try new products. A bad thing about Costco is I'd you go with a friend then the friend has to pay for the items, and not allowing a potentinal new customer to pay for their items.
You have to experience Costco at least once in your lifetime! Everything is BIG. I particularly find value in the beautifully filleted and deboned fresh local seafood, oysters, the variety of cheeses, antipasto, fruit and vegies when catering for a crowd. The cakes look amazing but I haven't tried any.
Their products are quite different from other supermarket. It is good value for money. But, some people don't want to join their membership because they would be charged membership fees annually. Also, we need to buy the whole package for every items. It is not suitable for every family.
The dining experience is adverage, the food is very cheap, but there isn't much of a menu to choose from and most of it is high in fat.
Approximate cost: $5.00
big bargain, great value for bulk purchase. however, you have to check the expiration day carefully because i bought 4 boxes of snack bar and it will expire in one month time. Lots of parking space.
I love shopping at this store. You do have to know your prices per single item. They have alot of brands you know but don't always have the same stock, though they will have an equivalent there. You need to put aside a bit of time & cash! Great for families, extra big boxes of cereal & potato chips. Check out the designer sunglasses to pick up a bargain. Good quality meat & bakery items.