Costco in Taipei - which is best, & location?

Cuisine Food & Drink
21

How did you get in without showing your card to begin with?

I make at least one trip a month to the Hsichr Costco…They just have the goods. Even most of my camping gear was purchased there, all of it bullet-proof. Sure there are some things you could price out cheaper in local shops, but where, for example, would you find a Kelty Ridgeway 4-man tent in Taipei for 2,400NT?

The whole concept IS to buy in bulk. If you live in the city maybe it’s not for you, but for a country bumpkin like me Costco is a one-shop godsend. The meat selection is extraordinary, real glazed dounuts, I could go on forever. The Synthetic Mobil one engine oil I use for my truck is 1/3rd the price of an automotive outlet. Dad’s Old Fashioned Root beer for 229NT a case? A bottle of Absolute at 370NT? Veggie burgers? Cheesecake? All of my daughter’s Harry Potter books? Halloween Candy? Nice boogie boards? Lawn furniture? Western condiments in bulk? Salsa? Chips? Great wine selection? What’s not to like?

I’m within 2 blocks of the Neihu Costco at least once a week, but rarely go there. The Hsichr location is more relaxed and has a user friendly floorplan. For those living on the Southern end of Taipei County, Yungho will be the location for the next Costco, which will be completed in a few months if not sooner.

I have two major gripes about Costco though…One is that it has a “here today gone tomorrow attitude” so if you see something you like, better grab it. Second, I can never get out of there without spending 10,000NT :fume: :help:

22

Also the Costco card is internationally accepted. So don’t leave home without it.

23

Costco is great and an expat life-saver. Where else here can you get great quality wines for 250NT?

24

Tesco.

Also, went there yesterday… Real lemonade… cheap cheese. I only shop for myself, but still… with my consumption of sausages, pates, cheese etc. it pays.

25

This is so true. I was able to use it in Kona and save significantly on macadamia nut candies to bring back to everyone at work. It is also really fun to visit Costcos in small, remote U.S. towns and watch the staff flip out over the sight of a Taiwan Coscto card.

Costco has great liquor. Once in a while you can get some good books or clothes there. But the cinnamon rolls make up for the membership fee alone.

26

We regularly use the Costco in Neihu, the choice is better than Xizhi. The crowds are a problem, but if you go at around 10 am on a sunday morning then it is not a problem, can get everything done quite quickly, even get to park upstairs at that time normally

27

Closet wrote:

If you need all that American shit then you are not an expat; you are just a visitor missing your home.
Bullet-proof camping gear? :loco: Dad’s Old Fashioned Root beer? Halloween Candy?
These are the things you leave behind when you come to a new place. And what is the point of the NT$1,200 card? I assume that the average person does not buy 500 boxes of Tide and the cost of the card makes the prices for the stuff they do buy similar or the same as anywhere else.
And why not have a system whereby cardholders get a discount and those without don’t?

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[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]Closet wrote:

If you need all that American shit then you are not an expat; you are just a visitor missing your home.[/quote]

Ah, shut up, you cranky old curmudgeon!

Lately I’ve been buying their jars of fresh anchovies and great chunks of pecori romano cheese to make salads. I love the huge bottles of low-fat milk and bumper boxes of cereal also.

Tesco in Taiwan is a huge disappointment.

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[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]Closet wrote:

If you need all that American shit then you are not an expat; you are just a visitor missing your home.
Bullet-proof camping gear? :loco: Dad’s Old Fashioned Root beer? Halloween Candy?
These are the things you leave behind when you come to a new place. And what is the point of the NT$1,200 card? I assume that the average person does not buy 500 boxes of Tide and the cost of the card makes the prices for the stuff they do buy similar or the same as anywhere else.
And why not have a system whereby cardholders get a discount and those without don’t?[/quote]

Wolf, the idea of a two tier discount structure is an interesting one, but as far as the membership fee is concerned, then we do save that value and more over a year. Sometimes it is not pure price, but that you can get better quality for the same price so that value for money is increased. The quantities are not normally that large, especially if you have a family, if a single person, then ok, maybe.

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Value and convenience in Taiwan…I’ll pay NT$1200 a year for that anyday! I’m lovin’ it!

CK

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[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]Closet wrote:

If you need all that American shit then you are not an expat; you are just a visitor missing your home.
Bullet-proof camping gear? :loco: Dad’s Old Fashioned Root beer? Halloween Candy?
These are the things you leave behind when you come to a new place. And what is the point of the NT$1,200 card? I assume that the average person does not buy 500 boxes of Tide and the cost of the card makes the prices for the stuff they do buy similar or the same as anywhere else.
And why not have a system whereby cardholders get a discount and those without don’t?[/quote]

From the sounds of your posts we probably walked off the plane within days of each other in 1986…So, the visitor adage doesn’t apply here.

Also, I pay for my membership with ONE oil change. And sure, it’s American stuff, but why not? As a father who’s child has not had the privilege of flying home every year or attending TAS, it’s nice to be able to introduce her to western goodies on occasion. We live far out of Taipei, and don’t need the hassle of running to 10 different stores for food items they most likely wouldn’t have anyway.

My sister-in-law runs a small confectionery next to our school, and the money we save on her condiments/meat purchases will more than cover our membership fee with one visit. As for thumbing noses at reasonably priced camping gear…You choose to fallow in Taipei, we don’t. Knowing that I have quality, durable/affordable camping gear makes our expeditions more comfortable and far less worrisome during inclement weather. I don’t think I spent more than 10,000NT for an entire setup for three, including bags, thermarests, tent, chairs, lanterns, coolers, stove etc…4 years later, and many rainy days in the field, it’s all good. Try to match that at any local camping store, and you’ll see what I mean.

Which brings me to the last point which is quality for your money. Coupled with perhaps the best return policies on the island, Costco remains a bargain. For those of you hung up on the membership fee, it’s less then most of us spend on one drinking night out, so get off it. You will save money, you will have access to goods not found elsewhere, and you’ll find it under one roof. Still can’t grasp the concept? Don’t shop there…It’s one less parking space to worry about :smiling_imp:

Tesco, RT Mart, Carrefour are not comparable…A bit like K-mart gone bad.

Your cynicism here seems a bit…misplaced?

32

I recently went to the Costco in Neihu for veggie burgers or veggie hotdogs,perhaps the Yves brand but found none, has anyone seen veggie burgers or hotdogs at Costco?

I used to go to Costco in Canada and disagree with the posters saying its not worth the membership. If you don’t like it you can get a refund, and my family found that sometimes in 1 or 2 reasonable grocery visits you would save the cost of the membership. When it came to veggie hot dogs I defenitely did, plus they have many products that the local chain just did not have. I don’t like how crowded it sometimes gets, and I remember the Costco in Canada had a guest pass where U could enter and buy stuff and pay 10% extra at the checkout line, but not sure if this still exists.

Although I went to the Neihu one, I will check out the one in Shijr as well. To get to that one take the blue MRT all the way East to Kunyang MRT station. From there get on the Blue #15 Bus and it will take you East to Shijr, and get off when you see a giant Costco buiding (its about a 25 mins. bus ride realistically).

The Costco here is great because it has a lot of western products that I have missed since coming to Taiwan. I recently bought the Cinnamon buns for $138NT approx, you get 6 buns each one having more fat and grease than all the chinese desserts consumed in a month. Its such a great deal, but others are not. For example, a lot of cheeses and other items there are double or triple their equivalent prices in Canada. My friend said its because imported food gets heavily taxed, but I;m not sure about that. If you can find food thats the same price as the Costco back home, than its a bargain otherwise its just out of my price range :frowning:

Also I am too cheap to buy a membership, so anyone who planz on going and wants someone to go wid dem pm me :smiley:

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webdoc wrote[quote]Also I am too cheap to buy a membership, so anyone who planz on going and wants someone to go wid dem pm me[/quote]Andy?

34

Cheap Canadians abound, in my experience. :laughing:

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[quote=“webdoctors”]I recently went to the Costco in Neihu for veggie burgers or veggie hotdogs,perhaps the Yves brand but found none, has anyone seen veggie burgers or hotdogs at Costco?

:smiley:[/quote]

I’ve never seen the veggie hot dogs but they’ve always had the veggie burgers…You can find them right next to the 1/3 pound hamburger patties (very tasty on the barbeque).

36

[quote]but where, for example, would you find a Kelty Ridgeway 4-man tent in Taipei for 2,400NT?
[/quote]
I don’t know. My Costco-bought Kelty Ridgeway only cost me NT$2,000. Heh, heh!
As for Wolf, why would you give up camping when you come to Taiwan?
And if not for Costco I wouldn’t have watched The Who’s Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live last night.

37

When I move to Yunlin County I will be sure to buy that Costco bulletproof camping gear.
Who said anything about giving up camping? Am I not camp enough for you? :noway:

38

Isn’t there a stereotype about catty older gay men? :laughing:

39

Just what I save on apply juice alone is enough to cover the membership fee (if I had one :wink: ). I suppose I’ll have to go and get one soon so I don’t have to rely on others’ cards. And a fully-loaded hotdog before heading upstairs to the store is worth the trip out there. Where’s that drool icon?

40

Has any of you Costco patrons seen a canopy or shade sail there? Just 'cause you mentioned camping gear and stuff earlier … thanks, Xpet.