Costco Connection - September 2009

able to purchase a $120 Wag (pet hotel) gift card for $89.99, Seattleites a $100 Teatro ZinZanni gift card for $79.99 and New Yorkers tickets to the Knicks at 40 percent off.

When asked about competitors’ savings claims, Jan Tanner, Ticket Program buyer, says that, unlike a lot of cards which simply offer a dollar for dollar value, “We always strive to offer at least 20 percent savings.”

Special 2009 offers include ski-lift passes, SpaFinder.com and NFLshop.com gift certificates and $50 Build-A-Bear cards for $39.99.

Restaurant, Coffee Card and Gift Box Chocolate Program*. This card/certificate program makes indulgences more affordable as hard-to-get savings are offered for fine-dining experiences (two $50 gift cards for $79.99), coffee establishments such as Caribou Coffee (Minnesota and Iowa) and gift box chocolates such as See’s Candies on the West Coast.

Restaurants in the program read like an upscale eatery who’s who: McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants; Orso (Anchorage); Purple Café and Wine Bar (Seattle); Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar (Spokane); Francesca’s and Rosebud restaurants (Chicago); Fox Restaurant Concepts establishments, such as Wildflower (Tucson, Arizona), Cohn Restaurant Group branches, including Blue Point Coastal Cuisine (California); Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que (California); Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse (New York City); Okra’s Louisiana Bistro and Foundation (Manassas, Virginia); Atlantic Bar & Grill (South Seaside Park, New Jersey); Restaurants Unlimited locations; and more.

Selections are based on close warehouse proximity, which means that two warehouses in the same city might have different offerings, and not all warehouses can participate. ( Tip: When traveling, stop by the local Costco to see if certificates for nearby restaurants may be offered.)

i Tunes*. Available in all warehouses and usually located near the iPods in electronics, the i Tunes gift-card pack bundles four $15 cards ($60 value) for 55.99. ( Costco.com offers a $50 gift card for $46.99, including shipping and handling.) Kids too young for credit cards are wild about these cards.

Costco.com

Entertainment cards or certificates*. Sales are up dramatically compared to last year in this category, and it’s easy to understand why.

Regional and national programs allow more members to participate. And many offers, such as CityPass (bundled attractions in numerous cities with savings of at least 20 percent) and five-pack movie vouchers, can be purchased year-round.

Savings are always at least 15 percent, with a goal of 20 percent or more. I appreciate the shop-by-price feature that lists what’s less than $100 and what’s more.

New offerings include Nationwidecar chauffeured limousine service ($75 gift card for $54.99); Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theater (two $50 gift cards for $79.99); and TakeLessons, with locations teaching music, singing, piano and voice in more than 400 cities. NutriSystem®’s 35-Day Meal Plan, ski destinations and gym memberships continue to be big hits.

Restaurant gift cards*. Costco.com’s restaurant gift-card program offers a great value and takes the hassle out of gift-giving.

The program highlights six fine-dining restaurants, such as Trader Vic’s or Wolfgang Puck, at any given time, each offering a $100 gift card for $79.99. (Shipping may be extra.)

Event tickets. You want the best reserved seats, on a specific date and time, and at a savings? Check out Costco’s reserved-seating events, offering Broadway shows and tours, NBA games, NASCAR races, Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas concerts, Madison Square Garden events, New York’s Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular and unique special events, such as the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four Championship, the MLB All-Star Game, the Kentucky Derby and the PGA’s U.S. Open.

Given Costco’s goal of providing advance and last-minute ticket deals for select events across the country, it should come as no surprise that tickets are limited, ever changing and often rare. Rarer yet are Costco.com’s savings of up to 50 percent, with the majority of events having no service fees added.

The process is simple. Go to Costco.com and enter “Event Tickets” in the Search box.

Pure Costco

THE GIFT OF a Gold Star membership certificate allows access to Costco warehouses worldwide and Costco.com. It also provides extra benefits such as coupons, and can be upgraded to Executive membership. Look for them at a red kiosk in warehouses, or purchase on Costco.com.

Many Costcophiles consider this the perfect gift: Costco Cash cards in denominations from $25 to $1,000. Available in all warehouses and at Costco.com, they allow members and nonmembers to hunt for Costco treasures and are usable in the United States and Canada. (Costco Cash cards are not redeemable for Costco Travel or Costco.com Event Tickets.)

Costco’s new National Membership Programs, which cater to large national companies and membership organizations, provide special opportunities for employees to join Costco. They also offer Costco Cash cards in bulk for holiday gifts, incentives or employee association needs. For more information, contact nmp@costco.com or call 1-888-668-9668.

Select an event. Verify your Costco membership. Buy your tickets.

Final thoughts

Unlike many retailers, Costco stands behind all gift cards, certificates and tickets, but each program has specific rules and regulations that can vary by state. While all gift cards, certificates and tickets in the programs listed must be purchased by members, they can be used and enjoyed by nonmembers. (Businesses might also want to use these programs as a way to cut expenses when entertaining clients.)