Everything You Need To Know About Costco's Home Products
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Whether you have a gaggle of children to feed, enjoy saving money, or just want to buy products in bulk, Costco can be a great place to shop. According to Costco, the well-known retailer originally went by the name Price Club, and first opened its doors in 1976. Although Costco originally just sold its inventory to businesses, it opened to the public in 1983 with a brick-and-mortar store in Seattle.
Costco is known for having pretty much everything –– cheap hotdogs, baby formula, and even home products. You name it; it probably has it (or will have it after a fresh restock). However, there are many places to purchase home products that don't require memberships –– places like HomeGoods, Target, Walmart, and more are all viable options for many people. Let's see how Costco stacks up regarding the things that make a house — from cleaning products to lamps — a well-run home.
There are all sorts of different home products available
Costco doesn't just carry a few rolls of paper towels and one type of soap –– it has a bevy of home products available for purchase, such as bed sheets, lamps, kitchen supplies, and much more. On the website alone, Costco has three different home-related categories to look through: decor, household products, and home and kitchen.
If you're looking to refresh your decor without spending your entire paycheck in one go, Costco's online and in-store options could work well for you. According to Costco, you can shop for items like decorative accents, indoor plants, candles, mirrors, drapes, clocks, and even wall art, all from the comfort of your couch. This goes for non-members, too. Although you may catch better deals in-store, Costco does offer plenty of options online for everyone to peruse.
However, according to Costco, some items online are reserved for members only and are marked as such. For example, the home and kitchen section has Anova Precision Sous Vide Cookers for sale just for members. You are not even able to see the price without signing in using your membership credentials. The household section of the website has pretty much everything you may have on your shopping list –– think batteries, Swiffers, can openers, knives, and tons more. If you're looking for a place to purchase a lot of things at once without hitting up a bunch of different retailers, Costco might work well for you.
You can save money on holiday decor
It isn't a secret that holiday sales (Cyber Monday, anyone?) are uber popular in the retail world. Costco is no different –– you can even save money online during sales periods without having to fight off the in-person crowds. For example, Costco is teasing its pre-Black Friday and regular Black Friday sales via the Costco Holiday Savings Offers tab of the website. It looks like customers can save cash on both in-store and online purchases.
If you aren't interested in constantly checking the website for the latest deals, find a method that works for you. According to Costco, you'll get the scoop on savings if you sign up for emails, follow the brand on Facebook, or download the Costco app. However, it is wise to keep up with the specific sales you're interested in. Costco states that deals are available "while supplies last," so be sure to stock up while you can.
You can shop home products as a non-member
Although it is easy to think of retailers like Sam's Club and Costco as off-limits to non-members, this isn't necessarily the case –– at least for Costco. According to CNBC, non-members are still allowed to shop select items online, but it is worth noting that there are more deals to be had in-store.
If you're lucky enough to have a friend with a Costco membership, CNBC also recommends getting a Costco Cash Card. The aforementioned friend can purchase this gift card for you (hopefully, you'll reimburse them), allowing you to shop in-store. For those who really want to see what all the hype is about without paying the annual membership fee, you can also use Instacart to fulfill your Costco-induced dreams. You'll be able to order various home products like cleaning supplies and have them delivered right to your door. It is important to note the extra fees that delivery services charge — make sure you still feel like you're getting a stellar deal.
There are dozens of mattresses available
Costco has a ton of mattresses available for purchase at a discount. However, it is worth noting that many of them are previous overstock models –– so you may not be getting the newest features. However, if not having the newest model of something isn't your concern, Costco may be a good place to look for a mattress.
According to Slumber Search, Costco carries some of the most popular mattress brands like Sealy, Novaform, Zinus, Simmons Beautyrest, Casper, Leesa, Tempur-Pedic, and more. Costco even has its own mattresses through its house brand Kirkland Signature. However, these brands (minus Kirkland) do not always have their complete product catalogs sold through Costco, so you may be unable to find the exact model you're looking for.
The Costco website also allows you to compare potential mattresses by selecting your preferences in size, brand, composition, and firmness. Plus, it even has a handy buying guide to reference if you're not sure which direction you want to go.
Save time shopping for home goods by calling in
See if your preferred location has the furniture or home item you're looking for in stock versus possibly paying for shipping (plus, you can get the item the day of your inquiry). According to Costco's Customer Service, the website and the store don't always have the exact same things in stock. Your local Costco store may have something you've been on the hunt for (but it says it is sold out online), so giving the store a quick ring may be in your best interest. Costco suggests consulting its handy list of stores across the country, which includes helpful information like phone number, address, store hours, and what extras the location has.
Wondering what extras you might be able to get your hands on at different locations? Various Costcos have things like gas stations, tire centers, food courts, hearing aids, business centers, pharmacies, and optical stores within each site (but not every location has all of these).
There are special events on the website to help you save
Who doesn't like special events? Costco understands the common consumer and offers a variety of deals within the Special Events page on the website. The warehouse retailer often has extra sales on various home items online. Depending on whether you're a member, you may be able to view more or fewer options.
According to Costco, you can even access sales on select appliances (both members and non-members). However, it is worth noting that most of the appliances offered don't include installation. For the weekend DIYers, this won't be much of an issue. But, if you're not into the idea of hauling away your own appliance and installing your new one, stick to Lowe's or Home Depot.
The special events tab also features a variety of out-of-the-box and unique products. You'll find home products like furniture from Lovesac, induction cookers, standing desks, and even meditation trainers.
You can check if they'll be restocking your preferred item
Want the inside scoop on what the Costco price tags really mean? According to Consumer Reports, the average person can decode the labels you see in the store with a bit of practice. If you see a tag with an asterisk, start flinging that item into your cart –– Costco won't be restocking it. Another cheat code that can help you save even more cash? ToughNickel reports that you should check for prices that end in ".97". This usually means they are marking the item down to move inventory. However, experts caution you shouldn't jump all over every .97 deal you see –– it may only be a small markdown. It's recommended that you check comparable prices at other popular retailers, like Amazon, before purchasing anything significant on markdown.
According to Lifehacker, folks who like a good deal should check the pallets in the middle of Costco. This usually means you can expect some real bargains –– employees don't have to spend half of their workday getting the items just right, so Costco has less money invested into the products (which means better sales for you).
Its bestseller is something practical
Think Costco's bestselling item might be something like its inexpensive sheet cakes or a package of bulk diapers? Think again. According to CNBC, Costco's overall bestselling item is its Kirkland Bath Tissue. Considering you get over 30 full-sized rolls of toilet paper for under $24, it isn't difficult to see why. Try to pick up the exact same pack from Amazon, and your cost virtually doubles. How's that for a good deal from Costco?
Besides the price, people seem to genuinely really like this toilet paper. No, really. With over 600 reviews on Amazon, this TP has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars. There are a lot of passionate toilet paper people out there. According to Fox Business, Costco's other bestselling products include the famed $4.99 rotisserie chicken, store-brand bacon, gas for your car, and the food court hot dogs. One thing is clear: Costco's clientele seems to have an affinity for meat products (and toilet paper).
Many Kirkland items might be name brand
If you're a name-brand enthusiast, you might be surprised to learn a lot of Costco's home products are made by brands you already know and love. Costco's in-house brand, Kirkland, produces a wide range of home products like food, coffee, and paper goods. In fact, MoneyWise reports that Costco's Kirkland Coffee is even brewed by the popular brand Starbucks. Another awesome, "secret" name-brand deal? The Kirkland batteries. According to WSB-TV Atlanta, the Costco CEO didn't even try to be coy about the connection and outright confirmed that the battery-giant Duracell made them.
Various household staples like Reynolds Wrap, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, and diapers made by the Huggies manufacturers are all available at Costco under the Kirkland name. According to Yahoo!, many more brands under Kirkland are rumored to be made by the same suppliers but haven't been confirmed by either Costco or the actual brands themselves.
Finishing a renovation? Costco has supplies
If you bought a fixer-upper during the pandemic, don't panic. Costco has a variety of building materials available for purchase, such as handles, actual doors, roof vents, and more. According to Costco, you can even get your hands on things like gutter guards with specific measurements. Are you a bit skeptical and want to see what customers actually thought of these purchases? You're in luck! Costco allows reviews on every product on its building materials page. For reference, the aforementioned gutter guards have over 24,000 ratings, so you can feel confident in what you buy.
One of the most useful features on the building materials page is the "compare product" tool. First, select the small box by the products you're interested in. Costco allows you to compare up to four products at once, which is particularly helpful for indecisive shoppers. The website will then generate a side-by-side comparison of the items with a specs chart. You can view comparisons on things like brand, price, finish, dimensions, weight, and more.
Get photos printed onto home products
Are you looking for an easy gift? Costco will print your photos onto home products for a fraction of the cost of other retailers. For a price comparison, Walmart offers plush, fleece photo blankets with the same dimensions as Costco –– but for $10 more. You can check out the wide variety of photo gifts like metal prints, mugs, cards, ornaments, calendars, and more via the online Costco Photo Center. Although Costco no longer has photo centers within its actual stores, it still offers all of the various related services online.
Costco allows the customer to choose from a smattering of themes. Whether you want to make a blanket with your favorite picture of your pooch or are impressing a loved one for Christmas, the store is ready to help. Pick from bright floral borders, photo-only backgrounds, or hearts signifying your love for that special someone. Plus, these creations can be delivered to your door in just seven business days.