What really draws the locals is the deals on staples like meat, milk, fruit and veggies.
How much cheaper is it? I’m curious about that point.
Sour cream example:
-Outside: 150 grams = 160 to 240 nts
-Costco: 1500 grams = 160 nts
[quote=“Icon”]Sour cream example:
-Outside: 150 grams = 160 to 240 nts
-Costco: 1500 grams = 160 nts[/quote]
Last I checked:
sour cream $181 for 454g at Jason’s = 399/kg
sour cream $110 for 200ml at Minquan bridge DIY baking store
sour cream $315 for 1360g at Costco = $231/kg
walnuts, chopped $239 for 8 oz (227g), = $1053/kg at Jason’s
walnuts, chopped $110 for 300g =$367/kg at Donghu DIY baking store
walnuts WHOLE $439 for 1360g =$322/kg Costco
pine nuts $330 for 100g = $3300/kg at Jason’s
pine nuts $1055 for 680g = $1551/kg at Costco
Stewed tomatoes in cans ($34.9/can, 411g ea.) and bulk shredded cheeses (e.g. $399 for 2.27kg of Moz.) are particularly cheap at Costco.
You folks be eating a lot of sour cream and nuts 
. How’s the quality in your opinion?
Good, but store the nuts in the fridge or freezer after you get them home. They do go rancid, especially in Taiwan’s long hot summers. And consider splitting with someone.
Taichung Costco has a sale on Ghirardelli Caramel Trio Chocolate Squares right now, a bag of 50 pieces for 279, down from 399!
Only caveat: it expires by the end of this February, so don’t stock up 
Pepper-jack cheese is also a really good deal (NT215 for a ‘brick’ block) ~
And for some reason the tub sour cream is often on sale at the Hsinchu Costco, which is great since I go through them relatively quickly somehow (wonder what the Taiwanese do with the sour cream though - or is it all us expats and ‘back-from-the-west’ Taiwanese who clean them out?)
Costco has a very different business model than Tesco: Costco is membership based which provides them with a substantial stream of revenue beyond what individuals purchase at the till. I forget what the numbers were for the memberships sold before the opening of the Taichung outlet, but it was apparently their highest ever throughout the world. Think about how a retailer can have that many millions of dollars in income before it even sells a product and it becomes obvious how they can offer products at substantially lower prices than others.
On a related note, didn’t Tesco come to an agreement with Carrefour about territories in Asia they would each invest in? What I seem to recall hearing was that the decision for Tesco pull from Taiwan was a result of negotiations as to which countries each of them would pursue interests in. Carrefour took the rights to Taiwan and China, while Tesco agreed to Thailand, Malaysia and other SE Asian countries, or something thereabouts. Looking at it from that point of view, it’s contentious to say that Tesco is not successful in Asia; they are very present in some countries. We just ended up with Carrefour. (Edit: Not that there’s anything wrong with it, lol.)
[quote=“Dragonbones”]
Stewed tomatoes in cans ($34.9/can, 411g ea.) … are particularly cheap at Costco.[/quote]
Yeah after I got over my initial anti-American-tomato prejudice, I’ve come to like them.
Large butt end spiral cut smoked ham at Yonghe Costco. Smallest was 3.5 kilo at 275 per. Farmland brand
Guys, does anyone know if there is/which is the closest train station to Xizhu Costco?
EDIT:
Map says Xike, but is that correct?
maps.google.com/maps?hl=es&expId … a=N&tab=wl
As far as I can tell from Google maps, that Costco is roughly halfway between Nangang and Xike stations, and marginally closer to the Xike station. 
Thank you. I am looking for a Sunday option. Neihu on a Sunday is an absolute no-no, and even my Taiwanese friends say Yonghe is starting to feel a bit crowded on weekends. So Xizhi it is.
What about going right at opening or near closing time? I imagine crowds would be much smaller.
[quote=“citizen k”]
On a related note, didn’t Tesco come to an agreement with Carrefour about territories in Asia they would each invest in? What I seem to recall hearing was that the decision for Tesco pull from Taiwan was a result of negotiations as to which countries each of them would pursue interests in. Carrefour took the rights to Taiwan and China, while Tesco agreed to Thailand, Malaysia and other SE Asian countries, or something thereabouts. Looking at it from that point of view, it’s contentious to say that Tesco is not successful in Asia; they are very present in some countries. We just ended up with Carrefour. (Edit: Not that there’s anything wrong with it, lol.)[/quote]
Eastern Europe–specifically the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
No way, it’s nuts. Even on weekdays often not fun.
[quote=“citizen k”]
On a related note, didn’t Tesco come to an agreement with Carrefour about territories in Asia they would each invest in? [/quote]
Tesco was shite. I was deeply disappointed with Tesco when they opened in Taiwan because they were just another Carrefour/RTMart/Geant (or whatever their name is this year).
I heard a rumor that they were going to build one in Shipai, where they demolished the old market, as part of a 35 story building supposed to be going up there. The costco people I know hadn’t heard about it though.[/quote]
Last I heard was there are outlets on the board for Tainan, Xinzhu (Hsinchu) and Taoyuan for this year. They do have a plan to expand extensively over the next couple years, so you could be right about another for the Taipei area.[/quote]
The Xinzhu one opened last year I think, I have been there.
[quote=“spaint”]
Tesco was shite. I was deeply disappointed with Tesco when they opened in Taiwan because they were just another Carrefour/RTMart/Geant (or whatever their name is this year).[/quote]
No it was the only place you could buy baked beans, tomato soup at civilised prices.
Plus their oats were cheap too. I was disappointed they moved on.
Unfortunately I can’t find those items in Thailand’s Tesco when I am over there.
Although maybe I’m not looking hard enough. Maybe in a couple of weeks I will look again
No way, it’s nuts. Even on weekdays often not fun.[/quote]
It’s ridiculous.
Just before Christmas in the middle of the day there were queues reaching the clothes section.
The idiots who manage the place got rid of the center isle a few months ago and it’s created a bottle neck. The nearest row to the till has the centre isle. When I finally reached that row I pushed the cart to the centre and the tills in the middle only had a few carts in line. (And it was weird non of the locals standing behind me in the original queue didn’t cotton on to me cutting 10 minutes off my wait by moving to the centre.)
I would hate to be there before Chinese New Year. It will be an utter nightmare.
And there should be a til option for 3 items or less. Having to join a long queue (carts full of products) having just bought your 1 item for lunch is not right.
Managers need to get a brain.