Costco previewed by approximately 5,000

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The highly-anticipated opening of the Costco Wholesale store is Friday, November 21, but a sneak peek took place the night before, following their official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Fortunately, the company is adept at handling bulk quantities, because the community turned out in volume.

Those who attended the preview savored food samplings of product offerings as they toured the store and viewed the amenities which include the following specialty departments: bakery, deli, food court, meat market, liquor, wine, and aisles and aisles of grocery items.

Costco’s one-stop shopping concept also provides a wireless center, inkjet cartridge refill, photo department, and a special order kiosk. For health and wellness, an optical department for vision needs, a pharmacy, and a hearing aid center are provided.

Although probably not representative of a typical shopping day, the parking lot was at capacity. Costco was ready for the onslaught with a bank of terminals set up to accommodate the crowd lining up for membership cards. Customer service was swift and efficient. Clear weather prevailed, and the crowd kept coming. During the two-hour preview, it was estimated that approximately 5,000 community inhabitants had toured the store.

Dr. Gregg Reger of the Vein and Laser Center in The Woodlands, and wife, Azita, dropped by to view the product offerings.

“We’re amazed at the turnout,” said Azita. “We didn’t think this many people would be here.”

“We’ll definitely shop here for our business, but we’ll probably do it on a weekday,” said Dr. Reger.

Some of the unique offerings are Costco’s tire center, and the price at the gas pumps on the parking lot was $2.46 a gallon for regular octane!

What sets Costco apart from other retail stores is its purchasing power. Buying in bulk allows the company to offer the products at a lower price to its customers. Also unique to Costco, Cutco Cutlery Corporation has partnered with them to set up an in-store kiosk. Typically a direct sales company, Cutco will be offering their best sellers at lower than catalog pricing in their kiosk. Cutco cutlery is renown for its better than lifetime guarantee, offering a ‘forever’ guarantee as the cutlery products are handed down from generation to generation. A set of Cutco knives becomes a treasured family heirloom, and a great gift for the holidays.

The 152,000 square foot warehouse is more than adequately stocked for the holiday season, with a wide assortment of wireless, technology devices, and plenty of toys. But the best gift is what the store provides the community in addition to products and services.

Fred Dominic, general manager of The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, provided this insight…

“It’s not just the products they provide, but also the jobs, what it adds to the tax base. The store is good for the community,” said Dominic.

The ‘community’ also included residents from all parts of the county...the towns of Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery, in addition to The Woodlands, and outside the county as well, including Huntsville, Humble, Kingwood, and Spring. Given that neighbors in surrounding towns are willing to commute to shop at the store, is an added plus.

Costco is located at 8285 SH 242, on the northeast corner of I-45N and SH 242 (77385). The employees who worked so hard to host a stellar open house, will have just a few hours to clean up the store in time to open the doors for the first official day of business, Friday, November 21, at 8:00 a.m. The store’s regular hours are:

Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday - 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

For more information call 936-703-2295, or view the link provided.