Costco on the East side

[terracore]

I emailed Costco and asked them about their plans to open a Costco on the Hilo side. This was their response:

Dear Terracore,

We appreciate you taking the time to email Costco Wholesale.

While currently we do not have any public information regarding plans to open a Costco in your area, our real estate department is continually looking for ideas for new locations around the country and around the world.

We will forward your suggestion to our Real Estate Department so they are aware of your interest.

Thank you,

Aaron C
Member Service Center
Costco Wholesale Corporation

I figure it wouldn't hurt if more people contacted them and thusly more suggestions were forwarded to the Real Estate Department. The link to email them is on their web site at Costco.com. Its a little buried and the link is currently https://ems02071lb.egain.net/system/web/...alPage.jsp but knowing how commercial web sites work the above link is probably not permanent and I have no way of knowing when you are going to read this. So if it doesn't work go to Costco.com and look for the link. Once there you have to click the "Warehouse, Business Centers or Membership" link which is currently on the left side of the page (this is required because if I linked the page that click generates it doesn't work if you close and reopen your browser).

So if you want a Costco on the East side, tell them. How else are they going to know?

[kalakoa]

1. Where would County even let a Costco be built?

2. As previously noted: Costco knows people are willing to make the drive anyway. This is sometimes called the "yeah, why should we care" principle.

[terracore]

Yes, its probably a waste of time. But in the minute it took you to leave that reply, a person could contact Costco online. One of those options has a slim but potentially pro-Costco outcome. What does the other option accomplish?

[kalakoa]

For me, the options are equivalent: I don't shop at Costco.

"But wait," you're thinking, "what about jobs and the economy?"

It's pretty obvious that Costco won't solve this problem -- and one might argue that people who want a first-world lifestyle (broadband, fast-casual dining, paved roads) should simply move there if they really want that sort of thing.

[dakine]

please consider.. costco and all other large national/international corporate retailers are not doing us all that much good in the long run. especially in that we are an island economy. of course they wish us to think that their buying power which results in lower costs to the consumer is all good when in practice it has proven to also encourage the manufactures to create a lower quality product. and, the stores themselves recycle almost none of the dollars they take in back into our community. so in the end they leave us with crap, and take our money elsewhere. how is that benefiting us?

[csgray]

Actually Costco has one of the best track records as an employer of all the big box stores, although the bar may not be all that high. I've known people who worked there and they were all much happier than any of the people I know who work at Walmart or Target.

If you want to write Costco to advocate for a store on this side I would stress the fact that while they have records for a lot of members from this side, that data has a big hole because it does not show all of the people who are too busy working and getting their kids to soccer practice to make the trip. Every single person I know who drives over to Costco to shop is retired.

Carol

[Rob Tucker]

I tend to doubt that the income demographics would support a decision for Costco to open here.... could be wrong.

[birdmove]

I do understand that Costco is a good place to work. I also believe that the CEO of Costco takes a very minor salary, unlike the greedy xxxxxx's that is the norm for CEO's.

Jon in Keaau/HPP

[reni]

Went to Cosco just last week with a couple of friends. I must not NEED the same things in life that most do. Checked the prices of what is usually on my shopping list and could not justify the drive over there or the annual membership premium when stacked against our shopping the sales with the 3 stores and vegetable stands we visit on the East side. But the day at the beach , the dinner @ Quinn's and the breakfast @ the Fish hopper WAS worth the drive.

[csgray]

In 1970 Hawaii County had right around 50,000 people, now it is right around 200,000 and still climbing. Just using the voting districts as a guide, Puna, Hilo and Hamakua have about 4 tenths of that, or 80,000+ people. That is a pretty good population base to start from, so the demographics aren't all that bad. Big families tend to love Costco, and we have plenty of those here, one big family with growing kids could easily spend as much as 5 pairs of retirees who drive to Kona now. I teach in a school with some pretty low incomes, and I've heard families say how much they wish they could shop at Costco for things like socks, toilet paper, laundry soap, and tires, but they are usually working an average of 1.75 jobs per adult to make ends meet, and can't afford to tie up their vehicle all day on a Costco run.

Costco has a history of doing very well in low income working communities, that describes the East side to a T.

Carol