Went to the new Costco in Coralville today

[rurallib]

Well it's impressive.
Been in Sam's stores only a couple of times.
Sams always seemed dirty to me - but Costco was shiny and new.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. It's also blue and they treat their workers well.

edited to add; FUCK WALLY WORLD AND THEIR LOW WAGES ALLWAYS

[ChazInAz]

2. Main reason:

It's a Union Shop.

[iowacityvet]

12. Union? Not!

Hate to burst your bubble but the Coralville Costco store is not a union store.

[progressoid]

3. How Costco became the Anti-Walmart

Wish there was one closer to me. I'd have to drive 45 minutes to the nearest one.

How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart

Combining high quality with stunningly low prices, the shirts appeal to upscale customers - and epitomize why some retail analysts say Mr. Sinegal just might be America's shrewdest merchant since Sam Walton.

But not everyone is happy with Costco's business strategy. Some Wall Street analysts assert that Mr. Sinegal is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well.

Costco's average pay, for example, is $17 an hour, 42 percent higher than its fiercest rival, Sam's Club. And Costco's health plan makes those at many other retailers look Scroogish. One analyst, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, complained last year that at Costco "it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder."

...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/business/yourmoney/17costco.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&incamp=article_popular&adxnnlx=1122039778-V1CVS8PW9u6+IvouDRmgWA

[47of74]

4. Might try it out some time

I've been a Costco member for the past couple years now ever since my sister took us to the one near her house in St. Peters, Missouri. I signed up for membership that day and make regular trips to the Costco in Madison as well as visiting one of the St. Louis area stores when I go to see her. However since the Coralville one appears to be slightly closer than the Madison location I might go to that one instead if all I'm doing is going to Costco. (Madison has a World Market and an Apple Store, Coralville doesn't).

My sister and her boyfriend dropped their Costco membership for a while in favor of Sams, but eventually came back to Costco. They feel that Costco has a better selection and better deals.

[Bluzmann57]

5. Didn't realize there was a Costco around here.

50 miles may be worth driving for if the savings are worth it. If nothing else, it may be worth a short day trip just to see the place and then go to John's Market for one of the best beer selections anywhere. Thanks for the info.

[rurallib]

6. Just opened last Monday I believe.

[shcrane71]

7. I thought I'd like the indoor parking, but

I think it makes it even hotter to walk through that parking lot in the Summer. Winter time it's going to be great though!

Did you sign up?

[Bigredhunk]

9. Yeah,

The parking lot is a mixed bag. Nice to be out of the sun (although you're still hot as hell). It'll be nice to be out of the rain, snow - esp when loading the car with a ton of stuff. The worst part IMO is the walking distance. We're usually okay because we have a handicapped relative. It sucks for everyone else though. The way it's designed, all the parking spots go outward in a straight line. Other Costcos without parking garages (never seen one with a garage) have their parking wrap around the building. It makes it easier for people to get closer spots. I'm not lazy, but it blows having to walk 2 football fields before you get into the store (which is huge and requires a ton of walking itself).

[Bigredhunk]

8. In Late

Good to see that other Iowa DU'ers are Costco shoppers.

It opened on Wed 6/27 at 8 am. Regular hours (every day after opening day) are:

M-F: 10 AM - 8:30 PM
Sa: 9:30 AM - 6 PM
Su: 10 AM - 6 PM

I hate their weekend hours, but we rarely go there on weekends. I also hate that they ditched their exclusive hours. Used to be that Executive members - $110 membership - could shop from 10 AM - 11 AM alone. Gold lever members ($55 membership) could begin shopping at 11 AM. It wasn't much, but it helped. They got rid of that in 2009 or 2010, I think. Now the hours are all the same for everyone. It's a real PITA, as most Costcos are TOTAL ZOOS. You can barely navigate through the place(s), especially with the samples (everyone stops and congregates around the freebies, clogging up traffic). That's the only thing Scum's Club has on Costco. If you pay for the expensive membership at Scum's Club, you can shop from 7 AM - 10 AM. The standard members may begin shopping at 10 AM. It helps if you can have exclusive hours. I'm a people person, but I hate being around people when I'm shopping/going to movies/etc...

We've had a couple of Costco memberships in our family for 10 years now. It started when I spent the summer in Seattle in 2001. My family lives out there, and I got to experience some of the cool things you always hear about (Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc...). Coming back to the midworst sucked. It was like moving to Iowa Shitty from Columbus, OH when I was in college. Columbus had great movie theaters, shopping, restaurants, concerts, sports. Iowa Shitty had NOTHING. It still blows, but it's better (drive-thru Starbucks, Noodles & CO, Chipotle, Costco).

We ended up getting our own Costco membership and shopping at the Costcos near Minneapolis in late 2001. They had the St Louis Park location open already. We joined the Coon Rapids location just after it opened. (Now they have 6 - Eden Prarie, Maple Grove, Maplewood, Burnsville - They're getting 2 more in the fall). My sister was teaching in NW WI. We'd go up to see her. We'd drive 60-90 miles into Minneapolis and load up, then drive home. We did this 3-4 times a year. Costco opened in West Des Moines in August of 2004. We'd load up there once and a while (sister now teaches in S IA, so we'd go from her house). Madison (Middleton, actually) opened in August of 2008, so we started going there. Now we'll probably go to Coralville. We'll still hit Madison, as they have Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

We went to the grand opening in Coralville on Wed, 6/27. We should've gotten there at 8 AM. We got there about 10 instead. MADHOUSE! It was nuts. On top of that, they only had 2 handicapped/motorized carts (although we only ever saw 1). We got into a fight with someone over the one we found/used. It helped already having a membership, and not having to wait in line to sigh up for one. I now know to avoid Costco on opening day. It's way to big of a deal for us midworsterners. We'd been to the Madison location on opening day too. That was also insane. My sister went back to Coralville on Thursday, 7/6. She said it was just as busy. I hope it doesn't stay that way, because it makes shopping miserable. Or hopefully Costco gets the message and builds more warehouses. People LOVE the place, and most of them aren't even doing it to support a "Blue State" business.

Costco does incredibly well, kicking Scum's Clubs butt in sales each year, even though Scum's has a lot more warehouses. I know they're never coming to Dubuque, but I hope they can branch out and get to the QC. The QC Scum's needs competition (way too busy). DPort needs much better stuff (they do have a Chipotle now!). It seems that West Des Moines got the message that Iowans actually want cool sh*t (they have Costco, Trader Joe's,...Whole Foods opens this Wed 6/18, and they're probably going to have another Whole Foods). Hopefully other Iowa cities follow.

[47of74]

11. I'd like to see them at least in the Quad Cities...

Of course I'd like it better if they came to Dubuque.

[47of74]

13. Monday evenings

My sister, btw, recommends going on Monday evenings. It's pretty quiet then.

[Bigredhunk]

14. N/t

Yeah, the last 2 times I've been there (Fri 8/31 and some day in late July/early August) were MUCH better. You obviously can't go on opening day. It just hard for me to hold back because I've been waiting for each closer store to open for 10 years. Every time one opens closer to me, I'm jones'n to get there. I think maybe people really went there the first few weeks to see what it was all about. It seems to have died down now. I'm sure school starting back up will help even more.

I want it to be busy, just not when I'm there. I'm honestly surprised it's still not more busy, considering that area has very little else (no Trader Joe's, no Whole Foods, a shitty little Target, etc...). If I lived in the IC area I'd be there at least once per week, probably more. I'd also spend about 80% of my shopping dollars there.

I too would love one in DPort. We'll never get one in DBQ. I'm suprised Scum's Club stays open there sometimes (never very busy). They probably don't want to close a new store.