Costco -- sales FAIL

Costco -- sales FAIL

by SouthernFriedInfidel | Published on July 7th, 2009, 7:30 am | Life

Went to Costco yesterday, to run an errand for a friend and pick up a few things. One of the things on my list: muffins. My family and I like their muffins -- they're tender and large. Good for a quick breakfast (provide me with enough carbs to last half the day), and they generally taste pretty darn good. They used to come in packages with mixed flavors of a dozen, but recently, they switched to putting them in packages of 6.

Yesterday, I decided I only needed to buy one set of six muffins. Got to the register and put them in witht he rest of my purchases. The cashier picks them up and says, "These only come in packs of two."

I said, "But I only want one, thanks."

"I can't sell just one. You can only buy two at a time."

Surprised, I said "Well, just put it back then."

They package these things up in six-packs... but they want to force you to buy 12 at a time? Screw that. If I decide to buy muffins, I'll go to freaking Food Lion from now on. At least they know how to sell a single package of food, if that's what the customer wants.

Well it is costco after-all... the purpose of the place is to buy in "bulk"....

The only problem about most supermarkets... food lion included is none of the bakery stuff... especially the stuff you think they make "fresh" are really frozen shipped, re-frozen and then defrosted and set out and marketed as fresh.... (perhaps Shan will chime in)...

On the other hand finding a bakery in these parts that actually has a retail operation, is open, and makes muffins is probably near-impossible...

...of course you could always bake up a batch at home... but I guess that's superfluous in this threads sense.

Liv beat me to it, but yeah.. Costco is bulk sale after all

That's what my wife said -- but that's not the point, IMO. The point is that they have these packages of baked goods that they create for sale, but they refuse to sell individual units of these packages. They used to make their muffins in packs of 12, but they decided to half the package size (wasting more packing materials in the process) but not change the pricing. It doesn't make much sense to me.

Besides, they sell clothes as individual items, DVDs and books as individual items, etc. I don't think they thought the change through very well at all.

The change was made to give members a greater variety of choices when they purchase muffins. I'm sorry you had difficulty.

fortunado wrote:The change was made to give members a greater variety of choices when they purchase muffins. I'm sorry you had difficulty.

It makes sense to allow customers to be able to mix-n-match their purchases. That part, I was able to figure out. But what doesn't make sense is to insist on selling in loose pairs. Imagine anyone going to any store, and picking up a six-pack of sodas. The sodas are held together by a set of plastic rings and make a unit easy to handle and use. But they get to the register and get told "You can't buy just one six-pack. You can only buy them 2 at a time or not at all."

Given that sort of rule, I'll choose "not at all."

I'm not really angry at Costco management... just rather disappointed.

Costco's entire business model is built around pushing people to buy more than they planned or needed. It may not work for you, but it does for legions of others.

I have almost stopped going there since it is so time consuming you need to be buying a ship load to make it worthwhile. I buy from them on-line, but seldom in person. I leave that to my wife who has plenty of time to waste

I too have noticed over the last year or two considerable changes in packaging and marketing within the retail stores. At Food Lion even the the products we semi- bake, have new prices or if the prices remain stable the quantity per pack has changed. They are attempting to make as much money as possible while confusing the customer. They think people are to stupid to figure out that they are paying the same amount of money for less product. I have also noticed that they'll put things in the ad which are the everyday price but the way it's set up people think they're getting a bargain. Look closely all you bargain ad watchers. They'll try to pull the wool over your eyes every time.
To be honest with you all store food is crap. They market products: "healthy", "freshly made", and "gourmet". It is all a lie! Our breads come in frozen then basically warmed up. the cakes, cookies and desserts come in frozen and we just add toppings to them. Nothing is scratch. None of the stores are scratch! It's all merely an illusion. Our salads come in buckets that we open up and pour into pretty containers and top with cheese, or open out of a can and put together with ingredients off the shelves. It always cracks me up when people come in and rave about all our "quality" food. We smile, look at each other, and say thank you.
Those muffins I believe you are referring to get a 45 day shelf life out on the floor after they have been in the store freezer, delivered from a warehouse freezer. Start adding and it's scary. Waffles get 90 days. Meat and cheese "let me put it this way: you don't even want to know". i love how we carry this new "lower sodium" lunch meat now. Do you know what lower sodium is? Yeah, i do! 480mg. per 2 oz. (That's one Slice People) How do you think they can keep stuff so long? SALT!!!! I dare you to go up to the deli and ask to look at the back of the bulk meat package before they slice it pretty for your "healthy" homemade sandwich or your "gourmet" party platter. Good idea if you don't want to enable heart attacks and strokes skip the store made stuff for your next friendly get together .

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote: I like their muffins -- they're tender and large. Good for a quick breakfast, and they generally taste pretty darn good. They used to come in packages with mixed flavors of a dozen, but recently, they switched to putting them in packages of 6.

He like's big muffins and he can not lie
You other nutters can't deny
That when a muffin walks in with her itt bitty twin
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull out your tough
'Cause you notice that muffin was stuffed
Deep in the wrapper she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna eat with you
And take your picture
My checkout-girl tried to warn me
But that bun you got makes me so hungry