The Cult of Costco

msephton

Every time I'm at Costco (like earlier this evening) I think of this. It's just so beautifully done.

treetalker

Costco can't be beat on high-end tires, as I was reminded last week. And the new mint sundae is pretty delish but enough for 3–4 to share.

AstroJetson

Sometimes you need 1 item, like a chicken for dinner or ribs to grill. Pro tip, don’t take a cart. Go in, get your two/three things and walk out for under $40. Take a cart, always over $100.

bequanna

Costco's genius is in building and maintaining trust with their members. In the age of private equity takeovers and the MBA-enshitification of pretty much every product and service, Costco appears to be the only retailer that will stand on the side of their members against those forces. They are playing the long game--which will pay off incredibly well for them as fewer and fewer companies care about customer satisfaction and quality.

mitchbob

https://archive.ph/2026.03.15-171535/https://www.theatlantic...

richarlidad

There's a famous story about the old Costco CEO saying he would kill the person who raised the price of the hot dog combo. But years before that when Costco was entering talks to enter China..someone wanted a $30,000 bribe and it pissed Jim Sinegal off so much he didn't enter the Chinese market for decades..