Costco to Stop Selling Apple Products

[Yoder54]

[citation][nom]jitpublisher[/nom]The average family can save a lot of money at Costco, but you have to be smart about it.[/citation]

That is true with just about any retailer. Look for the deals. For clothes, Kohls has some great deals and is always selling at significant discounts. People don't save, because often times they go into a store intent on buying a specific product (like me), if you can anticipate and buy before you absolutely need it then you can save big.

I don't like the idea of paying a fee to buy products.

 

[RADIO_ACTIVE]

[citation][nom]jhansonxi[/nom]Except for a few specific name-brand items, warehouse clubs with membership fees don't make any economic sense. You have to buy a lot of the "good deal" items to make up for the fees.[/citation]
Thats funny because I receive my membership fees back on every purchase I make they take 1% and then they send me a nice check every year. And if you don't sepnd enough to make up the the 50 dollar membership Costco makes up the diference lol. I guess you have never had a membership.

 

[Yoder54]

[citation][nom]RADIO_ACTIVE[/nom]Thats funny because I receive my membership fees back on every purchase I make they take 1% and then they send me a nice check every year. And if you don't sepnd enough to make up the the 50 dollar membership Costco makes up the diference lol. I guess you have never had a membership.[/citation]

Well, they like you to think that you are getting your fee back. In reality, they are making some money off of the "fee" or why else would they have it? I don't buy the argument that it is there to provide exclusive membership and keep certain undesirables out. They may do it so that it provides the "fee" purchaser with a sense of "ownership," so maybe they are catering to the herd instinct--not a very flattering idea. The bottom line is that they do everything to increase profits.

 

[stromm]

I've been an Executive Member ($100 fee) since they opened here. The %2 rebate has always been more than the $100 fee. Since my family shops there, there's no reason to not have that membership.

As to "why would they have that rebate", it's because they know (just like every rebate deal) that not everyone will 1. Get more than $50.00 back and 2. Not everyone will cash the rebate check.

Even with only four of us, the wife figures that we save more than $2000.00 per year by shopping at Costco. Their service is incredible, the meats are better than Kroger/Meijer/GiantRipoff, batteries are CHEAP and with the Exec Membership, we get to shop earlier than most so there's hardly ever a wait.

IMHO, I think it's really Apple pulling out of the deal. Costco doubles the manufacturer warranty on it's electronics. Sprint had a HUGE problem with this and terminated their contract. My guess is Apple is tired of people wanting warranty service on their "Apple obsoleted" year and a day old iPod... instead of you know, buying the brand new pointlessly different model.

 

[CptTripps]

[citation][nom]Aintry[/nom]BFD. I wonder how many people think "Apple" when they think "Costco"? Lol. As a previous poster stated, I think people will just go someplace else to get their iPods. People go to Costco to get 200-lb. bags of dog food and crates of toilet paper.[/citation]

I disagree, I am a huge nerd and actually impulse buy at costco more than anywhere else. I buy movies there, books, work clothes, 200lb bags of cat food, a TV, portable DVD players etc.. All because of the discount. I don't think this will break apples back but I do think they will lose some sales.

 

[lancelot123]

[citation][nom]orionantares[/nom]Sam's Club can be iffy depending on your purchasing habits. Costco is actually a really good value.[/citation]
Don't even get started on that. Sam's Club and Costco offer the exact same value to their members. I've worked for both companies for a combined total of about 10 years. It's a conspiracy almost at how similar they are. They both are constantly researching one another and copying what they find.

 

[nickb64]

All the people bitching about the membership fee, Sam's Club will refund the fee even on the last day before the membership expires if you feel that it is not worth it. They refunded my mom the difference from the upgrade to the "Plus" membership the day before the membership expired, as it really gave us nothing because the coupons given from it were never for anything we bought, and the only other real perk was more for business customers who would want to be able to come in and make purchases an hour early at 7:30 AM instead of the regular time of 8:30 AM, and my mom is at work @ 4 AM, so that was useless.

 

[Guest]

I am a coupon/deal shopper and save hundreds of dollars a year and sometimes find a great deal. There weekly in store items are often worth it for me. I would love to see more of a variety of personal media players and I think this is what Costco has in mind. If I walked in there with family and a cart I would just lose money. The membership fee is really becoming old and it is time they give it up.

I think they had a contract with apple that was limiting and they are getting out now.

 

[v12v12]

[citation][nom]stromm[/nom]I've been an Executive Member ($100 fee) since they opened here. The %2 rebate has always been more than the $100 fee. Since my family shops there, there's no reason to not have that membership.As to "why would they have that rebate", it's because they know (just like every rebate deal) that not everyone will 1. Get more than $50.00 back and 2. Not everyone will cash the rebate check.Even with only four of us, the wife figures that we save more than $2000.00 per year by shopping at Costco. Their service is incredible, the meats are better than Kroger/Meijer/GiantRipoff, batteries are CHEAP and with the Exec Membership, we get to shop earlier than most so there's hardly ever a wait.IMHO, I think it's really Apple pulling out of the deal. Costco doubles the manufacturer warranty on it's electronics. Sprint had a HUGE problem with this and terminated their contract. My guess is Apple is tired of people wanting warranty service on their "Apple obsoleted" year and a day old iPod... instead of you know, buying the brand new pointlessly different model.[/citation]

I agree! I'm not sure why anyone would not purchase items in bulk; it makes NO LOGICAL sense to continually spend; time, GAS, miles/wear on your car, stress from traffic etc to continually go out and shop every day/week etc. I go to Sams (Walton family; I'm trying to rid myself of them!) and get dried fruits, meats, chips and all kinds of longer storable foods that are nearly 50-200% more in quantity for the the same (usually slightly cheaper) cost as in smaller stores.

E.g., dried fruit is extremely expensive around here, esp from TJoes, WholePrice (er Foods). A 4-5oz bag of the same quality "organic" mixed berries is $5-7@^^^^, but at Sams/Costco I can get 13oz (yes 13!) for $6-8. Do the math on that, bc it's just like that for bulk chicken/seafoods etc. I buy everything I need for a few months in advance; think about it people, what if something happens to a store's supply chain, or a natural disaster (snow/ice/earthquake) stops shipping; WILL YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT for more than a week or 2? Seriously it makes NO SENSE to not have at least a month's worth of storable food.

People have become fat, lazy and decadent these days; all the wisdom your grandparents held is now being slowing washed away. How many of you have said food rations, can actually cook Vs reheating something in an electrical device? What about hunting and catching your own food, making your own supplies? Probably not many of you can, but there's always time right now to learn bc one of these days YOU could be in a disaster or a situation that prevents you from attaining said normal methods of food and water; blow my comments off all you want, but those folks that get caught up in wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes etc... they're the FOOLS and are laughed at. Yeah that's harsh, but it's your own fault for not taking action.

BUY BULK FOODS or one day stand in a bread-line, begging to be let in, only to see that prices have been hiked up bc of the demand and now you're paying 2-3x MSRP. One of these days that person could be YOU!

Not me though... tons of food and supplies stored; there's little warning before any major disaster/problem. Either stay SAFE in your home, or be out in the wild fighting noobs for a spot in line a mile long lol.

Try searching "Walton family underground bunkers" and take a look at how the wealthy are planning for a "just in case" scenario. You think these people are going to spend MILLIONS on a bunker just for fun? They know info that we don't and I'm SURE they'll be nice and warm while we're locked out and killing one another above ground or burning/drowning/freezing; you name it... Rich folks aren't stupid, they KNOW wtf is going to happen LONG before the serfs, sheep and "middle class" zombies will... Save a little now or PAY LOTS later.