Costco vs. Costco.com

Despite the convenience, I rarely order products online. I like to go to grocery stores, like to see and try on clothes before buying them (rather than have to pack them up to send back), and like to see what i am buying in general before purchasing.  When I used to occasionally go to the package room to pick up packages sent to me, I could see how many packages others got. I wondered if the package room would even continue to handle them all. 

More recently, I have started ordering a few things and looking up other items to potentially order. I have created and ordered presents for people. I have also started looking up food items that I am unable to find in local supermarkets. I haven’t ordered them yet but I keep adding to my cart.

Because I like going to Costco, I never really thought about shopping at Costco.com.  However, as I have been trying to find kosher cakes, I went online and did see some grocery items I did not see in the store. So, when I came across this recent article about Costco vs Costco.com, I figured it would be a good opportunity to learn more about online shopping at Costco and then share the information.

4 Differences Between Shopping at Costco vs. Costco.com

1. Online items tend to be more expensive 

According to the article, the same products will cost less at the physical store than online. While benefitting from the convenience of being able to shop from home, there are costs from shipping and handling that get added to the item costs.

My parents are very practical and I grew up learning that some things (e.g., parking; delivery) are not worth paying for on principle. Therefore, I would not feel comfortable paying more for the same item online. If I rarely went to the store, it may be a different story. However, given how much access I have to the store, I’d prefer to save money and buy the items on person. 

2. Non-members can shop online

The article points out that, to shop in-person at the warehouse, one must be a member, be shopping with a member, or have a gift card purchased by a member. In contrast, even non-members can buy items online. However, Costco.com charges a 5% surcharge for non-members buying items online. According to the article, this surcharge may be worth paying if individuals will not visit the store enough to make the membership fee worth it.

I have no reservations about being a member, as I love visiting the store and certainly buy enough to make the membership fee worth it (Making the fee increase “worth it”) . Certainly there are people for whom the fee may not make sense. However, as I mentioned in a post I wrote several years ago about services available for nonmembers (For those without a Costco membership) for purchases over $1,100, you will actually save money by first becoming a member.

3. Larger selection online

The article mentions that, although Costco warehouse clubs are big, they are still limited in the number of items they can offer.  Therefore, a larger selection is available online. However, the article cautions that there may be items available at physical stores but not online. 

Until recently, I never even considered buying food online. I still don’t see the benefits of buying produce online. I am finicky about produce and prefer to select it myself. While there are fewer selection choices at a place like Costco because one does not select individual items, I still want to see most items before deciding if I want to buy them. For example, I want to be sure the bananas are not too yellow or too green, that the apples are not too mushy, or that the mushrooms are not too brown.  I have started to consider buying nonproduce online and looked up cakes online recently. I saw that it is possible to buy cookies and cakes from David’s cookies online. Although they are too pricey for me, I was tempted given how much I enjoyed the one item I have tried from the company. However, those were much less expensive as they were 97s (Price endings are not random).

Knowing now that there are items available online that I cannot get in the store, I will start browsing the website to see what else I can get. it is helpful to know that items in the store may not be available online. 

4. More payment options online

Another difference mentioned in the article is that, whereas Visa is the only credit card accepted in the stores, Mastercards are also accepted online. 

I don’t know why Mastercards are only accepted online. I don’t mind only being able to use Visa in the store.

Do you tend to do more of your Costco shopping in the store or online?