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To: XBrit who wrote (93087)	1/20/2009 9:09:24 AM
From: ajtj99	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

Not everything at Costco is a good deal. I found that out many years ago when I was buying baby formula and diapers there and soon realized I could get them at Target or Walmart cheaper. From dealing with them on the sales side I know they typically mark things up around 15% to 20%, so an item retailing at $20 will have cost them around $16 to $17. For example, they have good deals on spaghetti sauce but have lousy deals on pasta. You can buy name brand pasta 30-40% cheaper on sale at the grocery store than the store brand at Costco. I can always get meat cheaper at the grocery store on sale than I can at Costco. However, there are plenty of things that are dirt cheap at Costco. Condiments are real cheap. Rice is cheap. However, grocery stores are quite competitive with Costco on flour and sugar when it's on sale. I buy over 80-lbs. of chocolate chips there a year, and while they've gone from $5.60 to around $8.00, they're still 30% cheaper than in the grocery store. You really have to know your stuff when you go in a warehouse store to get good deals. I started my career in purchasing, so I kind of take that with me when I shop.