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Alcohol at Costco (Part 1 of 2)
One of my favorite posts to write was why Costco would be a good venue for a dinner party (Why Costco would be a good place for a dinner party). I still stand by this idea, although I have yet to host one there 🙂
Not that dinner parties have to serve alcohol but, because they often do, the wine and liquor section at many Costco stores would be yet another asset for a party…it is right there.
It would be a serious understatement to say that I am not exactly a wine/beer/liquor connoisseur, but, given the many people who are interested in the selection and good deals of these beverages at Costco, I thought it would be a good idea for a few posts. So, I am relying on other articles and thoughts from friends and family on this topic…and please comment on this post to add some of your knowledge of, and experiences with, the selection.
Here is one good summary post which I will supplement with other information.
As I have done with recent “series” of posts, I will break the main points in this article into two posts so as not to make any one post too long or overwhelming.
(*As always, the bold indicates that it was taken directly from the article*)
1.Costco is the nation’s largest wine retailer.
I found this shocking–$4 billion in alcohol sales each year, with $1.69 billion of that for wine? I talk about Costco a lot with friends and family (don’t you wish you were included in these oh-so-exciting discussions???) and, given the large sales of alcohol, I am surprised that the topic does not come up more. (Although, I guess, I am not even close to the best person to be discussing it with, so perhaps they talk about it with others instead).
2.In some states, you can buy wine and liquor even if you’re not a Costco member.
I did not realize that in several states (including my own state of MA), it is illegal to limit the purchase of alcohol to members (and now I am curious about the rationale for that law). Therefore, in these states, they have to allow you to purchase alcohol, even without a membership. (But, given that you only check your Costco card at the door rather than at the time of purchasing items, if people take advantage of this loophole and say they are buying alcohol just to get in the store).
3.Costco’s Kirkland Signature vodka has scored higher than Grey Goose in blind tastings.
As is mentioned in more detail in the second post in this series, “Kirkland” varieties are made by high-end producers, so it is no surprise that they are good quality.
4.Wine at Costco is typically priced up to 20% lower than at competing wine stores.
It is no surprise that Costco has better deals on wine than most other retailers. In general, Costco’s prices are as good as or slightly better than a sale price at other stores.
5.No wine is marked up more than 14%.
This statistic sounded good but did not mean nearly as much until I learned that a typical mark up of wine is 50%. Given this, it seems foolish to purchase wine anywhere else, especially given that they have a good selection. (Although, I realize that people who are more into wine than I am (so in other words, everybody) may have strong preferences and therefore feel differently).
6.But it’s not all affordable.
The picture in the article was for a wine that was almost $19,000. I can’t even imagine spending that much on a car, let alone a bottle of wine, so to me, that can be summed up in two words: absolutely ridiculous.
7.You can sometimes find additional markdowns on wines — if you know where to look.
I have written before about the price endings having significance at Costco (Price endings are not random) and I frequently scour the store for those lovely “97s” (300 highlighters in assorted neon colors all of a sudden become very appealing when their price ends in a “97”…no, I’m exaggerating…I still only buy what I will actually use–but it is a lot more fun when at the discontinued price. Although, given my track record of favorite products being discontinued, it would likely be my favorite items that are discounted before disappearing completely (It’s Gone? Discontinued Products). Now, with this new tip, if I ever do buy wine at Costco, I will know to look for unusual price endings.
Do you purchase alcohol at Costco? Why or why not?
Any thoughts you can add on this section of the store would be great as I have little experience with it.
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