Costco
 

My husband (who always said he would never pay $$ to "join" a store to pay more $$) has become a Costco fan.

We know there are none right near TV but there are 3 within 50 miles. Does anyone ever make the trip - and if so, which store to they go to?

Thanks,

Kate

Up north we preferred Costco but with the distance to get to a Costco here and the very near new Sams, Sams won out.

It is a very long, slow ride on local roads to the nearest Costco. We went there once, and will not do it again. Too bad, since I think Costco is far superior to BJ's or Sam's Club.

Kate Hi, My husband always has said the same thing,But so far we haven't paid an we are still going to Sam's.Good prices and close, we liked Costco but to far.Mary

I've been to two of them, mostly because we saw a curio cabinet in one up north, and we wanted to get it for TV. So we drove to Altamonte Springs using 441. Costco website said 37 miles. But it was torturously slow going. So we returned via 441 to 429 to the turnpike (close to 60 miles, but more highway). Either way the trip was quite a bit over an hour. And they didn't have the curio!!!
So I called around and found one in the Costco in Brandon near Tampa. It's right off 75, but it's around 80 miles. Since the curio was double the price anywhere else I could find it, we made the trip. Wasn't bad at all. It's all highway, so it actually took less time than Altamonte Springs by a couple of minutes (at around 75 MPH) and was a more pleasant ride. But that was just for this special purchase.
We've switched to Sam's. We used the Sam's in Ocala (about 25-30 miles right up I-75) until the new one opened up in TV, and now we shop there, and at the Sam's up north when we are there.

I like Costco too. Equally as well as Sam's and I would guess they will get wind of all the potential shoppers here and try to get one here, even if they have to close another one, but for now I bet it takes awhile! (In these bad economic times)

Thank you...
 

Thanks for the update... We, too, prefer Costco to Sam's... but right next store seems to lessen the preference. I think an all-highway trip makes sense if you are going to go. Or, to visit friends in other parts of FL and hit a Costco on your return.

Gracie, I hope you are right.

Kate

I also preffer Costco to Sam's. If you go to the Costco web site you can suggest a new store location. I have put the Villages in twice already. If everyone did it, maybe they would get the message faster and build one.

directions to costco
 

Probably the best Costco in the area is Orlando. True, it is a few miles further than Altamonte Springs but the trip is mostly highway and takes less time. Follow the FL tpke south to exit 255 (the one just before the airport exit) and follow Consulate Drive as it bears to the left. At the first light,(orange blossom trail, rts 19,441, etc.) make a right turn. Costco will be about a mile on the right. The trip takes about an hour and 10 minutes.

The wife and I made our first trip to Costco in Altamonte Springs. We used the turnpike and 91. Trip clocked at 60 miles in 60 minutes. Not bad for a day trip shopping and only two hours round trip. Found the store to be almost identical to the one in Westbury, NY. But then again they use the same formula in all their store layouts so it really doesn't matter which one you go to.

Tried to check out Sam's Club this weekend using the free day coupon but the line was out the door. I don't intend to join something I can't check out before. So I'll stick with Costco and enjoy the ride in the sunshine.

-Dave-

Homeball- Sam's Club will let you in any day you want to look around at the store. You don't need to wait for a special day to go. Just tell them at the door that you want to check it out and see if you want to join, and they will have you get a day pass at the customer service counter. I did the same thing at Costco. I wanted to see if it was worth switching from Sam's Club to Costco, so I went to check out their store. Much of the merchandise is the same, but Costco has better quality clothing and home goods. (also means more expensive!) I checked out the prices on the staple items that I always buy at Sam's Club (ie: toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent...), and they were more expensive at Costco. The Costco membership is more expensive, and I can't use my MasterCard like I can at Sam's Club. So, I decided that it wasn't worth it to me to switch to Costco.

Thanks for the tip and info. I'll give it a try.

-Dave-

I sent an email message to Costco Headquarters yesterday. The lady who responded this morning said she contacted their Real Estate Dept. and that Costco has no plans for a location in The Villages area anytime in the near future.

Bummer!

Does Sam's let you buy things using the one day pass without paying to join; or does that just let you look around?

We go the Costco in Alamonte Springs about every 4/6 weeks, we go down 441 to 436 it just becomes 436 after Apopka. On the way there is a tuesday Morning and a Home Goods and Macaroni Grill. This costco has a gas station, Branden does not. and if you continue east over 4 there is a Mall.

We joined Sam's in TV when they first opened in January. They said that if you were not satisfied you could turn in your cards and get a refund. There are no Sam's in our home area so, used the membership for the 10 weeks we were in TV and on the day before we left, we went to Sam's and got the refund. My wife asked if there would be a problem getting a membership next winter and was told not a prob.

Most Costco's are much bigger and have twice the merchandise as the Sam's in TV.

Drove thru the 441 traffic for over an hour to get to Altamont Springs Costco. Not a trip you want to make often.

.

Were you not satisfied?

Next time try the turnpike south to 429. It ends at 441 pretty close to the Costco. It's a MUCH easier ride than using 441 all the way down. Or even the one in Brandon which is about 80 miles straight down I-75. All highway at 70 MPH. Also an easier ride.

Freeda - I believe that you are allowed to look around, but are not able to buy anything unless you become a member. The one day pass that they occasionally have allows you to buy on that day, but you pay 10% more than the price that is listed on the shelf.

I remember that we had a discussion at one time about the difference in prices from Sam's Club to Costco, but I couldn't find that thread. So I'm highjacking this thread to give you a link to a news story that did the comparison for us. Here is the link: http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-bud...ecking_savings Intersting to see that my Sam's Club membership really does pay off in some big savings!:coolsmiley: