How Costco Decides Where To Open A New Store

[Durian Fiend]

Fairbanks alaska has a pop. ~95000 yet they have a Costco.
Puna and Hilo districts have about the same population when combined.

Juneau has 30,000 people and a Costco, and no roads for outsiders to access it, and virtually no independent tourism (it's all cruise ships and the Boat People never go to Costco).  It's also the smallest Costco in the fleet, though there were at times smaller ones, but proof of concept that they can build a profitable Costco in a tiny hamlet literally in the middle of nowhere if they want to.  It's not a stretch to say that virtually every household in Juneau had a Costco membership or at least access to the store through an immediate family member.

When I was in Gustavus, the guy who ran the car rental place was getting ready for his Costco run to Juneau.  He was a licensed pilot and was bragging that his run-down Cessna was modified to run off of car gas, and he could do the round-trip run for under $15.  It costs more than that to drive to Kona.  The car he rented me had no tread left on the tires and I was literally driving on the steel belts.  Hopefully there was enough room in his little airplane for tires.  But I'm pretty sure he was fetching drinks and toilet paper.

This reminds me of a similar story run by CNN during the pandemic. And I found it.  Same town!  
From Costco to ToshCo. 

Only 15 bucks of gas for a round trip Cessna flight?  I seriously doubt that, even for a short flight.  Is there a landing strip at that Costco? 


https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/16/us/alaska...ng%20craft.