The Costco Connection

Costco Other Percent Item price retailer saving Famous Amos Cookies $13.99 $17.59 20%

Peanut M&M’s $10.89 $13.08 17%

Folgers Coffee Classic Roast $11.99 $17.46 31%

One-stop shop for
the break room

Costco’s buyers have created a special one-stop section on Costco.com that features staples such as coffee, tea, creamer, bottled water, instant ramen noodles, snacks, paper plates, cups and napkins, along with office essentials such as trash bags and cleaners.

You can find the section on Costco.com
under “Office Products” and “Breakroom.”
“We are a great solution for your break
room, or even your home pantry,” says
Shannon Parker, assistant general merchan-
dising manager for Costco.com. “We strive to
offer our Costco members a quality online
shopping experience with the competitive
pricing they expect.”
Shannon and her team added the break
room category about a year ago to comple-
ment the assortment of office supply items
already featured on Costco.com. Businesses
small and large will find a wide variety of
items for their housekeeping needs—from
mops and mop buckets to hand sanitizers and
wipes, paper towels and garbage cans.

Folding tables? Check. There are many options to select from, in different shapes and sizes, and you can even buy a multipack of tables that comes complete with a rolling cart.

You can also easily find the items required by law in many states for break rooms, such as workplace posters regarding safety and labor laws, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits.

A solution for businesses

Guru Sankar, center director of Doctors Express, an urgent-care clinic franchise in the Portland, Oregon, area, says coffee tops his list of items ordered regularly from Costco.com. He has been shopping at Costco.com for most of the four years he has owned his Doctors Express clinics.

“I love the Keurig coffee pods,” he tells me.

“I am an avid Costco fan and have been a
member for more than 20 years. Costco is
pretty much the only place I go to do my shop-
ping, both in the warehouse and online. I don’t
feel overwhelmed when I shop at Costco.”
Sankar says he appreciates the carefully
selected items available in each of the catego-
ries he shops. He adds that he can trust that
the Costco buyers have brought only the best
products to the website.

Shannon says that’s exactly her team’s goal. “We want Costco.com to become a natural destination for anyone wanting the convenience of shopping online with next-day delivery. We strive to beat the competition with the best value as far as overall pricing on goods, and shipping and handling is included on a lot of items.”

Delivering the goods

Late one evening I was visiting Costco.com in search of a new shredder for my home-based business when the midnight munchies hit. Momentarily distracted from my search by stomach rumblings, I clicked on the “Breakroom” section and discovered the “Candy & Snacks” selection. I had no idea I could purchase one of my favorite snacks— Kirkland Signature whole cashews—on Costco.com! Then I found my toddler’s beloved Kirkland Signature organic animal crackers and I was hooked.

I appreciate that most of the online prices include shipping and handling, but conve-

Costco vs. the competition

*Prices are for delivered products and are based on online comparison taken April 2, 2015.

nience is another key for me. With a simple click of the mouse, the shredder, the cashews and the crackers were in my shopping basket and on their way to my front porch.

“All products are available to both businesses and residential users with next-busi-ness-day delivery in most areas on orders placed by 3 p.m.,” Shannon says.

Shannon further explains that, with the assistance of carriers such as UPS and FedEx, Costco is able to deliver to either a home or office address. “This helps us to complement the existing program that Costco Business Delivery operates, as it allows us to have nationwide coverage for all cardholders,” she says. “Previously, unless you lived in a metropolitan market where Costco operates a Business Center, our office supply program would not have been available to you.”

Beyond the office

As Shannon gives me details about Costco.com’s “Breakroom” section, I begin to think about other situations where this could be a money-saver. Shannon affirms that supplies can be shipped to somewhere such as an event site (for special events, parties, etc.) or even a baseball field (concession stand sales), as long as someone will be there on arrival of the shipment, which is traceable by the carrier.

Are you perhaps planning a wedding, a reunion or maybe an open house for your business? With a quick search I was able to find virtually anything needed to create a successful event, from paper plates and napkins to invitations and folding chairs, at Costco.com.

The Costco.com “Breakroom” tab is now bookmarked on my computer as a top destination for my cashew, cookie, and office and cleaning supply needs. Although I won’t need to stock any concession stands in the near future, since my daughter is a few years off from playing in any Little League games, I know my family will visit the website quite frequently in the meantime. C

Delivering
value

MAY IS Small Business Month. Did you know that there are nine Costco Business Center locations (and growing!) throughout the United States that offer next business-day delivery to your business? To find out if a Business Center is located near you, visit costcobusinessdelivery.com.—LB