Costco warehouse 'club' to open August 30 at Marsden Park

Situated just outside the Hawkesbury on Richmond Road, the new warehouse ‘club’ Costco will open on August 30. This will be the American company’s third store in Sydney, after Casula and Auburn. 

It’s aimed particularly at small to medium businesses, as well as individuals. 

Natalie Nicholson who works in Richmond said she regularly makes the trip to either the Casula or Auburn stores as “it’s awesome, it’s cheap”. She’s happy to buy in bulk, as she has a spare room to store it all in. 

However she said the wait at the checkouts to get served can sometimes be “horrendous”, up to 15 minutes, despite them trying to keep most of the checkouts open, with usually at least three of the store’s giant trolleys in front of you in the line.

Richmond worker Valeria Banning said she has friends who shop at the other Costcos and buy the bulk items together and then split up the packets.

However a Glossodia resident who did not wish to be named said it’s too far from the Hawkesbury.

“I can’t be bothered driving that far just to get my groceries,” she said. As a result she doubts she’d make back in savings the $60 annual fee that’s required.

“I also don’t have the space to store bulk items or a chest freezer. I think it must be for people who live in McMansions with a butler’s pantry.”

The 14,000 square-metre site will offer a wide range of products and services, including an optometrist, fresh food, electronics, jewellery, clothes, appliances, hardware, sporting goods, cigarettes, office supplies and equipment and normal supermarket items. 

It will also have a fuel station, hearing aid centre and tyre centre. 

Its website says it’s able to offer lower prices “by eliminating virtually all the frills and costs historically associated with conventional wholesalers and retailers, including salespeople, fancy buildings, delivery, billing and accounts receivable”. 

It has 663 stores and 76 million members worldwide.