Is it true about Costco?
 

Per Sumter Commissioners, Costco is going to be built next to Hobby Lobby. Can it really be true?

I don’t understand the fascination with store where you have to paid to walk in door?

read on..............
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...-plans-349490/

Yes it is true. Verified by Goldwingnut. Also a perfect central location for all of TV. A super Walmart nearby. Next to Marshalls and across the street from Fresh Market. Red Lobster and Olive Garden a stone's throw away. All your needs in one location.

It's obviously not an establishment meant for you...

Good thing we have choices, no?

Will there be any retraction of comments made by many on TOTV that swore Costco was never gonna come to TV?

I can tell you for me, being new and very very part time in the Villages, I was shocked by meat prices in Publix. $6/lb for commodity lousy chicken breast, and same for cheap pork cuts. So I drove to Costco in Clermont to take a look and the prices are similar to up here in Massachusetts.

Plus as a guy that does a lot of BBQ, having whole prime briskets for under $5/lb is awesome. Other than meat I have not fascination with the place.

Where did he verify it? On his most recent call in show? Thanks

That will never work here. Do wonder if BJ will be leaving.

He verified it on his Facebook page and there is another thread on here somewhere. Not sure where it went but I'll link if I find it.

Found it, on the same page with today's posts. Probably don't need 2 threads but I think "water management plans" made the other thread title a bit confusing.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...-plans-349490/

I wonder too- is there room for all three (Costco, Sam’s and BJ’S)? I know in other cities I’ve lived, Costco has always been the clear “winner” and most popular of these type of stores.

You are correct! We have choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP0oQCh_teg

Never said "never". What I said was, "I'll believe it when I see it". Still holds true.

A sitting county commissioner is way more in the loop than the typical Villager. Don would not have verified a rumor.

If your favorite store offered to only charge you average 10% markup on everything for $60/year wouldn't you take it? That is Costco's value proposition in a nutshell.

The membership pays for itself in one visit or one online order for many people.

Absolutely. I trust Don and knew he would announce it. I just missed it so want to re-visit. I think it's great news myself.

How many Costco threads are really needed?
Some folks should read “todays posts”.

Our annual fee is easily paid back many times over with money back that we get. The benefits of a Costco membership are so worth the fee paid. We save plenty just on gasoline alone.

Up here in Massachusetts I have to go to Costco in Nashua NH. I save the membership fee and gas just buying 2 whole briskets. I wish I had one closer. When I move to the Villages full time I’ll be super happy to have 2 of them about 30 minutes away.

Not gonna lie though. I’m was hoping they’d put it south of 470 below Dabney.

///

Depends really. The location of the new Costco is around 40 minutes from my house by golf cart. BJ's is less than 5 minutes by golf cart, and I don't even have to go over the bridge to get there. Sam's Club isn't accessible by golf cart but it's less than 10 minutes from home by car.

I'm a BJ's member because it's close, convenient, has what I need, and is affordable.

They’re all affordable. I pay $50 a year to have sams club ship everything for free so I don’t have to go to 441 area. That alone pays the $50. Will you get your money back from these stores? It all depends how much you shop there. It will take multiple orders before it starts saving the cost.As for the shipping, I can have them deliver every week if I wanted to.

Just what we don’t need.

.. it's the 2024 version of "Cocoon"

Not so
 

For some reason 466 seems to be the center of the villages universe. The center has moved way south. We don’t go to Sam’s anymore due to the traffic on micro and Rolling acres.
We live in St. John and it’s gonna be a 25 minute drive. 466A would be a better location.

Better for you maybe, but The Villages population may only be a part of the market plan for Costco. From the proposed 466 location they can draw from the non TV population north of 466, which includes a lot more families, who are a bigger part of Costco's "buy in bulk" appeal.

Costco already has stores in Clermont and Wesley Chappel, for the TV population as The Villages expands southward. I suspect the 466 location is as much about the population north of TV, as it grows to accommodate service needs for the ever-expanding Villages.

With a decent amount of planning, most of us old TV'ers won't need to brave the traffic and the crowds more than 2 or 3 times a year. And I certainly won't be putting all of that stuff in my golf cart.

Any educated guesses on how long it takes to go from "water management" to open doors for a project like this? 12 months? 24 months?

Costco in The Villages?
 

I also just heard they are putting a Costco by Hobby Lobby. That area is already very congested. 🙁 Also residential area right behind the property. ☹️

Great News about Costco
 

Great news about Costco finally making it to the Villages.
Any Update on Portillo's?
Thanks in advance.
FrankD

I cannot believe Costco would ever build in that location. On a main road maybe where there are families to shop there. My son spends $700 when he goes with 3 kids/wife. Seriously can you imagine the traffic jam on 466 and that little road where it would be located? Doesn't make sense - villagers with the top cart seat filled with items. LOL

This location is insane! Traffic on 301 and Buena Vista will increase. So many other places south have more room.

:sigh:

Sales pitch T V uses for every new development. I was told Brownwood was the "new" center of T V 5 yrs ago. It still holds true after one's closing on their new property lmao. T V already has what seems to be another "dream" for a new "center of TV" 5 miles out from Eastport planned per a Gold Wing Nut video. There is zero large retail establishments being planned any time soon south of 44. Just your basic Publix shopping plazas if even that.

They are building for the next 15 years. 466A is only now being built up with large retail and north of 466A is about 12 years old.

Ya'll (lol threw that southern twang in since I'm a Floridian) surely have figured out by now that if you buy in Eastport area you will have fun taking VERY long, lol, leisurely roundabout drives to do your shopping in main retail chains, unless you shop online, Leesburg or Clermont, for many, many, many years.

The wait was not for me. I moved up "north" from DeLuna when the distance for necessities and the reality of a lack of retail truly set in. Costco is not a store I would use.

Living the "dream" for me was the trees, rolling hills, and real MVP golf cart paths I could enjoy while headed to the stores to shop.

Funny though, Costco is not a store that would motivate me. Now Chik-fil-A? Let's talk.

I just can’t imagine the horrendous traffic congestion inside the Costco store waiting in line for the free food samples. Oh boy!

Traffic on 301 and 466! They should central location it off of 466A!

Clermont construction started April 2023 so 18-24 mo.

Clermont Approves Costco Permits, Floor & Decor Construction Underway, Bojangles Permits Filed – Horizon West News & Info

Daytona store timeline was similar.

Yes it is true. Verified by Goldwingnut. Also a perfect central location for all of TV. A super Walmart nearby. Next to Marshalls and across the street from Fresh Market. Red Lobster and Olive Garden a stone's throw away. All your needs in one location.

Not even close to Central Villages. State 44 is now the Central Villages.

Not EXACTLY centrally located??? 470 would have been nice too as a Newell Villager, but 44 to 466a would have been good. As turnpike is usually a crap shoot guess I would go to the new one instead of Claremont. Either way, glad it's happening.

I agree! I wonder lately how some of these retailers decide where to build new stores. It used to be the infrastructure was built first (including shopping areas), then residential neighborhoods built up around it. Now it's just the opposite! Have you seen the development south of Warm Springs lately? A year from now there will be thousands of new residents but no place within 20 minutes to buy groceries (except of course the over-priced Publix). And still no Costco within a 40 minute drive.

Still shaking my head at Home Depot building a new store 'steps' from Lowes on 466A when there's another one a stone's throw away in Lady Lake. Why not build SOMETHING, ANYTHING... south of 44??

You are thinking that the population that lives in TV is the market for those big-box stores. It's not. It's families that buy in bulk. They aren't building the Costco so I can buy 3 chuck roasts instead of one. They are building for the family of 5 that will buy 5 chuck roasts, 20 lbs of ground beef, 2 cartons of toilet paper, etc. etc. etc.