Costco in the United Kingdom (International Series #5)

Continuing our international Costco tour…we have covered Canada (Costco in Canada (International Series #1)); South Korea (Costco in South Korea (International Series #2)), Iceland (Costco in Iceland (International Series #3)), and Australia (Costco in Australia (International Series #4)). Now it is time for the United Kingdom, where there are 29 stores and plans for 14 more in two years. 

I have made reference to the Schwartz couple in a previous post (Costco Surprises). They will be the source of information for the United Kingdom Costcos. 

1. Larger Food Court Menu

Accordingly to the article, there is more choice at the food court in the UK than in the US. The UK food courts have the standard items, including hot dogs, soda, and pizza. They also serve items unique to the UK, including Aberdeen Angus cottage pie (minced beef and onions topped with mashed potatoes and cheesy herb crumbs) and ‘jacket potatoes’ (baked potatoes with a choice of toppings). In addition, they sell items that are not served in the US but that are served at other international Costco stores, including Korean beef BBQ bake, fish and chips, chicken tenders, double chicken fillet sandwiches, cheeseburger, and French fries.

Even before starting this international series, I had written about differences in food courts across the country (Costco food courts around the country and the world). Therefore, it is not surprising that there are differences between the food courts in the UK and the US. What is surprising is that some of these items (e.g., Korean BBQ) seem more like meals than a quick snack (e.g., slice of pizza). I also have to admit that I hope people eating some of these messier foods wash their hands before touching other items in the store!

2. Many Domestically Sourced Items 

The article reports that about 40% of the products sold are domestically sourced. These items include Marmite, Aberdeen Angus beef, and haddock fillets. 

As I mentioned in other articles, it certainly makes sense that there would be local items in different Costcos.

3. Wide Regional Differences

The Schwartz couple reported surprise at the vast regional differences across the stores within the UK (e.g., haggis in Aberdeen; cider in Bristol; Bank’s Original Beer in Birmingham; Henderson’s Relish in Sheffield).

I don’t know enough about regional food in the UK to know how specific to country or city these items are. However, given that there are  differences across different United States locations, I do not find the regional differences too surprising.

4. Most Similar Appearances

The article reports that most UK warehouses look the same as those in the US. However, there is one exception. The Stevenage warehouse, outside of London, is located in a repurposed John Lewis distribution center which was built in 1963.

Given that stores in other countries also seem to have similar layouts to stores in the US, this observation is not a surprise. I am not familiar with John Lewis Distribution Centers but it appears that the interior is more delicate looking but not completely conducive to some aspects of the typical Costco layout. 

5. Color of Product Shelving 

The article mentions that another (small difference) between US and UK stores is that product shelving in the UK is yellow and black rather than orange and green like in the US.

As many times as I have been to Costco, I would not have been able to say the colors of the shelves. 

6. Same Coding

According to the article, sign codes indicate product information  (e.g., asterisks when items are not being reordered).

I am not surprised that the price codes/symbols are the same across countries (Price endings are not random). 

7. Many Gin Options

The Schwartzs comment on the many varieties of gin available in UK Costcos, including those from Bombay Sapphire, Gordons and Tanqueray. In addition, Costco sells multiple holiday options containing gin (e.g., gin advent calendar; gift box with gin-filled glass Christmas tree ornaments; light-up glitter globe filled with orange and cranberry gin liquer).

As I am not a drinker, I don’t find additional varieties of gin to be a perk of UK Costco stores. However, clearly it is an interest for many UK members.

8. Gold Bars

Gold bars are mentioned in this article as one of the oddest UK products. These are Baird & Co., gold ingots.

I actually had to look up “gold ingot” as I did not know what they are. Now that I know, I am not sure why anyone would want one. Therefore, I agree that it is a bizarre item for Costco to sell.

9. Many (But Not All) Similar Departments

The article reports that UK Costco stores contain Optical and Hearing Aid Departments. However, they do not have pharmacies.

The article mentions that regulations prevent Costcos from having pharmacies. 

10. Same Health Products

UK Costco stores sell the same over-the-counter health and beauty aid products as in the US. 

I am not surprised by this finding. However, because the regulations prevent pharmacies from being permitted in the stores, I wonder about differences across countries in terms of what is sold over-the-counter vs prescription.

11. Different Requirements for Membership

The article explains that a requirement for a Costco membership is that one either has (or is retired from) a select group of jobs. These jobs include public sector workers such as NHS staff, police officers, teachers, and local government workers, and workers in banking and finance. The memberships contain a free membership for spouses living in the same household.

I was very surprised to read that there are limits on who can become members. As far as I know, in the US, as long as people can pay the membership fee, they are welcome to join. I wonder why the UK would have any restrictions and why these?

12. Different Membership Levels

The Schwartzs report that memberships differ depending on the level of access people seek. One membership enables only online shopping, another enables access to the warehouses and a third is a trade membership for businesses.

I have written about the different membership levels in the US (Costco Executives). I wonder if the US ever considered an online membership only. As I recently wrote about, although Business Centers are geared towards (surprise, surprise) businesses, anyone can shop at them (Costco Business Centers).

What do you think about these differences between Costco in the UK and the US? Have you been to a UK Costco?