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Comment by 4death4 | Hacker News Reader

I have largely curtailed my Amazon shopping because of all the cheap crap. I now only buy something on Amazon if I know exactly which product I intend to buy. I don't think Amazon is existentially threatened. I still prefer Amazon's reliable shipping. But a niche has definitely opened up where having good taste makers can be a powerful product differentiator. If someone managed to combine Wire Cutter reviews with Amazon's reliable shipping, that would be a powerful product.

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Surprisingly, this is one of the value propositions of Costco!

Of course, the first thing they're known for is letting you buy comically huge volumes of everyday items.

But one of the reasons that they actually have a cult following is that their corporate buyers are actually incredibly good at finding interesting items and offering them at a good price.

Browsing Costco essentially becomes a curated tour of what's new in the land of food, gadgets, etc. All backed by an extremely consumer friendly set of policies allowing returns etc, which minimizes your risk.

Costco is amazing but their ecomm experience leaves a bit to be desired.

How can anything be worse than their in-store experience?

What is actually bad about their in store experience? I don't see how it could improved other than their awful push for self check out, but that's affecting all retailers.

Lack of serpentine queues for checkout. It's unfair and infuriating.

I find it comical. Store staff telling people in the long line there is no line. I walk right up to the front and get in a short one every time. Is hilarious to watch.

I can never find anything. You have to walk every isle in the whole store. And that’s after you make it through 400 yards of parking lot expressly designed to get you run over by an F350. Then you get to the checkout (after picking the 20-minute line, of course) and learn which payment methods Costco currently is at war with; you better have something blessed. Then you get to stand in line again (this may actually be your third line of the day if card checks were queued up) with all your fellow suspected-shoplifters for some security theater receipt glance-and-mark. Finish it all off with another parking lot gauntlet, but this time fully laden.

I don’t have experience with any but my local Costco. Maybe the rest are delightful.

Consider taking an edible or some CBD before your Costco experience if this is how you’re experiencing it (ie stressful). I love my IRL Costco experience, especially the soda and hot dog at the end. Just enough chaos to be delightful, I don’t mind any of the grievances you’ve raised. Tis the cost of the bulk blessings. Checking my card and purchases along with a long checkout line? Meh. Don’t let the big box store stress you out. Grab a cart and enjoy.

I think the reason you have too much to do is you get high so the time and forget to do.

I don’t get high, but the stressed out people in my circles do, and it seems to help them. Hence my advice. You know what they say about assumptions.

They make an ass of u and mptions?

Exactly

The problem is it’s too expensive. Every item is £10 minimum. It’s not just raisins, it’s 5.8kg of raisins. And it’s not actually cheaper than other shops because they’re just selling you premium products in bigger sizes.

Yes, I went into a Costco recently with a friend and it didn't live up to the hype of it supposedly being better value. Some things were much more expensive, especially pet food.

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