Costco and the power of cheap thrills

Team members celebrate the first 150,000 members signing up at the store in Auckland. (Image: NZME)

Sat, 30 Sep 2023

Last week, bulk retailer Costco celebrated its first anniversary in New Zealand after the opening of its first huge store in West Auckland. And what a year it has had. By March, 150,000 members had signed up, shopping up a storm and trying first-hand the benefits of bulk-buying on a scale not previously seen in this country.Costco is making its money from a membership model that lets it sell items at prices we're led to believe are not too far above cost. Costco isn't the only company that has used this model successfully &nda...

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