Courtesy of Terumi Morita
- Michael McKinlay, 46, from Calgary, describes himself as a Costco superfan.
- As well as its low prices, McKinlay likes its returns policy, Kirkland brand, and how it treats its staff.
- He's used Costco to buy hockey sticks, hire rental cars, and even book a cruise for his mom.
This as-told-to article is based on a conversation with Michael McKinlay, 46, who lives in Calgary, Canada. He is a self-proclaimed Costco "superfan" and runs an Instagram account and multiple Facebook groups for fans of the retailer. The article has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm a Costco superfan. I'm on a different level than most people.
It offers really good value. And everything is there, so you don't have to go to a ton of different stores.
Since I was a teenager my parents had always been going to Costco. I've been a Costco member myself since September 2014. I had always gone before that too, maybe with a friend who had a membership, or my parents.
Since I joined I've had the Executive Membership. It's currently 120 Canadian dollars ($87), although it's going up to 130 ($95) soon. It gives you 2% cash back. That pays for itself for me.
It's all about getting a good deal
I go to Costco about once a week. I usually go to my closest store and I'm pretty efficient. I usually spend half an hour to 45 minutes in the store. I look up what's on sale before I go and I make a list. I am not an impulse buyer or a shopper. I know what I want.
Courtesy of Terumi Morita
Costco is my go-to for most things. Most of the time I'm just buying groceries. I do go to a couple of other grocery stores just because I have a small family and everything at Costco is bulk and I don't want to buy something and then have it go to waste.
For most things, and even electronics or household stuff, I will definitely check out Costco first. But I'll look at other places because maybe you'll find a better deal. For me, it's all about getting a good deal, but generally Costco is pretty solid. It's hard to beat.
Costco sells middle-of-the-range products. So it's not garbage or stuff that's going to break down. It's a good medium between quality and price.
I buy a mix of Kirkland and branded products. If Kirkland is a little bit less, then I'll likely buy it. It would probably be a default. But it's a mix because Kirkland doesn't make everything — there's only a select number of things that it makes.
The Kirkland brand is just as good. I used to buy its diapers for my son. I've almost never been disappointed.
I really like the store-baked cookies and desserts although I try to limit myself since they have a lot of sugar. I usually only buy them if they are on sale, which isn't that often.
Costco has a lot of good policies
Costco seems to really treat its employees a lot better than other places, and its employees often stay for many years.
Costco has a good return policy — basically, no questions asked. It's almost too good because I think some people abuse it. I try not to use it because I actually feel some weird sense of loyalty. I usually only try to do it when I actually feel like, "Yeah, this didn't work out." For example, I bought a massager, and the charging port broke. I took it back, no problem.
Another really good thing about Costco is its price reduction policy. It could be something as small as a pack of eggs. Staff never give you a hard time about it. You feel that, even as a giant corporation, it has your back, or it's loyal to you in some sense.
Gas prices are the cheapest pretty much everywhere you go. And then you're hitting another bird with one stone. You get your gas, get your groceries, and you're done.
I've used Costco for hockey sticks, rental cars, and even a cruise
There's also the treasure hunt aspect. For instance, I bought some water guns for me and my four-year-old son. I wasn't planning on buying those, but they were a good deal.
When Costco stocks hockey sticks, I'll probably pick one up because they're a lot cheaper than regular sports stores. And the quality is as good as I need, for sure.
I buy car stuff every now and again. Things like an air compressor, polish, wax, and a car vacuum, which is super handy for around the house.
My mom got hearing aids. At another store, it was 6,000 Canadian dollars ($4,375). At Costco there were very similar hearing aids that were about 3,000 Canadian dollars ($2,187). The staff said if she happened to lose one, Costco has a policy to replace it. The hearing aid examination was free, though there's a fee for the optometrist.
I booked a Princess Cruise Line cruise for my mom through Costco. It was a few hundred dollars cheaper than her travel agent for the same product. And Costco also gave her a cash credit card, a couple of hundred bucks.
I've rented cars through Costco as well. It'll actually compare the rental companies and tell you which one's cheaper. It's cheaper than going directly, too.
Courtesy of Terumi Morita
I also bought tickets to a local dinner theatre from Costco as well as ski lift tickets to mountain resorts near Calgary.
The food court is good for the price
I eat at the food court about once a month. Usually, I go to Costco by myself, but if my family comes, we might eat together.
It's not the greatest menu. I wouldn't eat there every time, that's for sure.
But it's good if you want something quick, easy, and inexpensive. There's nothing I avoid on the menu.
It's not great pizza, but for what you pay and what you get, it's good.
Other people probably don't enjoy Costco as much as me
Most of my friends and family are Costco members. The only people that aren't don't have a Costco near them. Pretty much everybody I know has a membership. They probably don't enjoy it as much as I do.
Are you a Costco superfan? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com.