When I heard CostCo had opened a few branches in the UK, I nearly lost it ! It brought back…read morememories of the USA .. Sweet sweet memories ! CostCo is a large retail store selling items mostly in bulk from toothpaste, drinks, crisp, cereal to singular items such as perfumes/colognes, clothes, TV, jewellery etc. If you want to waste money, go to CostCo! I went to the one in Derby and although it had many items and it was a reasonably humongous store, it's nothing compared to the USA especially the free samples! There is also a Pizza Parlour where one can have freshly made pizza made by CostCo staff. I've heard they're good but never tried any so when you do , let me know! There are too many good things to say about CostCo but that'll fill a few pages. However, the negative is that it's members only and one has to be one of the following as far as I can remember : Occupation: Bank/Finance Education Local government / police force / fire and rescue service Civil service / armed forces Post office Medical health service such as the NHS Airline Insurance Qualified as : Certified or chartered Accountant Doctors / opticians / dentist / pharmacist Chartered architect Chartered engineer / civil etc Chartered surveyor Individual membership costs around £30 including VAT whilst Trade costs £24 a year. The CostCo Gold card would be double the prices at a slight discount. Note: * Be wary of the VAT as it's not included in the prices however, the total sum is always summarised near the product. * The owner and primary user of the membership card can take two people in with them when shopping at a time. If it's children, they have to be under 16 and can go in as two pairs.

Costco is great, and Costco Derby is probably my favourite. It's got everything you would except…read morefrom a Costco but because it seems to get less busy, it's a much less stressful experience than say, Costco Glasgow! Don't forget your hot dog when you leave!

I think it's just fantastic that Milton Keynes has a Costco! I would never expect it in such a…read moretown. CostCo in England is one of the few places you can get many American foods which is great for a yank like myself while working overseas. On top of the American products, they naturally have many British products in bulk, as well Word on my street is they only sell to businesses in the UK so thank goodness for my American CostCo card, woohoo! They have the signature beef hot dog (American hot dogs are hard to find in the UK) for the super cheap price of just 1.50 pounds and it comes with a pop. Fantastic deal and reminded me of being at home.

I'm with Sarah S. on this one - most of the appeal of Costco to me is that IT FEELS LIKE I'VE BEEN…read moreTELEPORTED HOME. That said, I also love looking around at Costco in the UK as people purchase flats of scones and gargantuan boxes of tea. There's a happy commentary about international relations in that visual, I think. Or maybe people the world over just like to shop. Whichever whatever. Prices are good, but not always a mega-deal (if you're a die-hard bargain shopper). However, there is a great range of American products, which end up being _much_ more affordable than purchasing them (plus shipping) on "US product" sites or special ordering them. Multi-pound tub of Red Vines? Yeah, I'm looking at you. To round out the experience I'd also like to note: hotdogs, like back in 'Murrica, are also 1.50. Slices of pizza (cheese, pepperoni, BBQ chicken) are 1.60 or so. Full pizzas also available for impromptu pizza parties (or, like, you and your bestie watching True Blood). To cater to British tastes the chicken caesar has been swapped out for jacket potatoes, but all else is in order. It's a great place to cheaply grab a bite of simple carbs and saturated fats. Yum dash oh. Beware weekends, and avoid Christmas times. Trust. Yelp note: note the opening hours: hours for those with "business" cards are different than for those, like lil' ol' me, with standard issue cards. Double-note: cash, no credit.

Large, warehouse-style buying in bulk shopping trips are de rigeur in suburban America, especially…read morewhen you have 5 children, like my mother. So Costco and Sam's Club (Costco's arch-rival in the US) shopping trips were a fond part of my childhood; mainly for the food samples and 10-packs of chocolate bars. Costco is the first of its type in Birmingham, if you disclude "cash and carry" stores, which are really another thing all together. It works like this, yo: You go into the store. You fill out a membership application. You can join (often for free) through an employer or union, or on your own. The annual fee is £25 for individuals, and slightly more for businesses. Then you grab an enormous trolley and start shopping. Costco carries an assortment of goods, ranging from electronics to lighting, tobacco to food to 125 paper plates for £2. I would imagine people with large familes could do their weekly shop in Costco, only getting a few miscellaneous items from a smaller shop. My husband and I typically buy things like wine, bread, washing up liquid, loo roll and kitchen roll from Costco. On these items, the prices tend to be very reasonable, and cheaper than buying individually in a grocery store. Bulk buying can go to a shopper's head, however. Who doesn't need a three-pack of curry seasoning?? So as a veteran bulk shopper, I encourage people to do their research, or at least have a think before you buy. If you need a lot of something, Costco is a no-brainer, especially if you can't find it cheaper locally. But not all products bought in bulk are more economical than their individual counterparts. Costco provides labels with price-per-unit and price-per-weight, which should be perused carefully. All the staff at Costco are very helpful, from the fresh deli and bakery counters to the checkouts. It's a really fun shopping experience -- much more enjoyable than getting one's ankles rammed by a hyper child wielding a trolley in Morrison's.

Costco is simply mahooosive!, Its basically a very large wholesale store that sells an enormous…read morerange of goods, from car tyres to TVs to bulk food items and drink cases. There is even a small cafe beyond the tills where you can get a coffee or a slice of pizza, a full pizza and lots of yummy 'american' treats when your shopping is done. It's especially good if you want to buy food and drink for a party or an event where you have a lot of guests. the cakes are huge and very good value, and the drink is cheaper than you'd find elsewhere. If you're lucky and go at the right time, they often have little taster counters set around the store where you can sample different products before you buy. It is a case of buying in bulk, and i understand that not everyone wants to buy a catering-sized jar of mayonnaise or 48 toilet rolls all at once! But if you can share with a friend then it is extremely good value for money. A warning about the prices though the main price you see on the labels doesn't include VAT, so make sure you check the price further down in smaller print, or you could be in for a shock at the checkout. But if you an exclusive business member like me you can claim back you VAT Expenses. and i also get a 2% return on all my spend annually. Yes you do have become a member before you can enter the store its £25 for the cheapest individual membership but a member is allowed to add a second person to their card for half price, so if you know someone who already has a card or can team up to join with a friend then it will work out cheaper. Great Tip is that as long as your a member they have record of all your purchases from the past 5 years. you can walk in with a product u brought years ago and get a full refund.

I really like the Wyvern Retail Park in Derby. There's a plethora of shops from Maplin Electronics…read morethrough Homebase and Boots allowing me to shop High Street names without the hassle of parking in Derby. There's always plenty of parking spaces no matter the time of day with great connections to Pride Park and Brian Clough Way. If you're feeling peckish you needn't worry about a trip into town as there's ample eateries nearby from McDonald's through Harvester.

Large retail park with a number of different buisneses such as very large Sainsbury's, boots, toys…read moreR us, halfords, currys, costco, pizza hut, burger king and KFC, frankie and bennys, subway and starbucks. Very close to the football ground and railway station.

Have been using Greetings House as the supplier for my business for around a month now and I cannot…read morefault their services at all. The staff are so kind and helpful, the prices are fantastic and top of the market and products are always brilliant quality. I recently decided to switch helium suppliers and have decided to use Greetings house due to their unbeatable pricing. Penny was extremely helpful in finding me the canister that I required. She spent around an hour liaising with my local suppliers to arrange this for me. Checked that I had the correct nozzle attachment and placed the order for me. Cannot thank greetings house & Penny enough!!

Oh wow. I have found crafty heaven and it is a trade…read morewarehouse in the Midlands. This place has every arts supply and events decor piece your heart could possibly desire - sequinned ribbons to artificial peonies to bubble wrap to cards and invitations. Everything comes in 30 different colours and is bought wholesale, so you can buy in bulk if you so desire and also keeps it affordable. We raided it for supplies for my sister's wedding - high quality paper and card for the table plan (home-made by my own fair hand!), a box of 50 wedding confetti pouches (such good value), 15 pretty jars and a tonne of coloured beads for centrepieces, artificial cherry blossom branches (they just fitted the theme), and a lifetime's supply of blu-tack. And that was only the first of several (awesome) trips. Here's the big fat catch though - you can only get in if you're a business owner as it's officially aimed at trade buyers not amateur craft enthusiasts like me. In this case I had a useful aunt with a shop who registered for an account and brought us along. You still can't just wander in though - you need to show ID and leave any bags in lockers. And thus its existence has remained a closely guarded secret ;) Looking forward to any excuse to get to go back!

Wow what can I say…read more For food, there is no place better in Sheffield to go if you're planning a party. 18 inch pizza trays that hardly fit in your oven. As many buns as you can fit in your trolley, all at American sized portions (big). Massive bags of sweets and crisps and freezers full of catering sized packs of cheesecakes and burgers. The bargains don't stop after the checkouts either with the food court. Jacket potatoes, chicken bakes, shepherds pies and pizza slices that are about 700 (million) calories a pop and free refills on the fizzy drinks. Definitely worth a look round if you can.

Costco is a chain of Cash & Carry warehouses similar to Makro…read more They charge a yearly membership fee and you must either be a trade customer or work in a certain type of job to be eligible to join. It's worth noting that they only except payment via cash, cheque and debit card. Credit Cards are not accepted. They stock a wide range of goods, from appliances, electricals, bedding, beers wines and spirits, catering/cleaning goods, furniture, gardenware, office products, clothing, toys, books, bakery, butchers, fresh food etc etc. The one in Sheffield also has a digital photocentre and tyre centre. In addition to this, they also sell hot food after the checkouts where you can get cheap pizza, cakes, jacket potatoes, hot dogs etc. They also do 18 takeaway pizzas at a bargain £7.33! What seems to be their motto is the best quality goods at the lowest possible prices. This means the majority of their stuff are all brands you have heard of and recognise as being renowned for quality. If you are eligible for membership I'd definitely recommend a trip round if they'll give you a day pass.

Being a beadaholic I almost wet myself when I accidentally came across this delightful store, set…read morein a quaint old building on a side street and up a hill in the centre of Nottingham! It has a fab selection of beads, findings, magazines and books, as well as all sorts of accessories. A bead geek's delight!!! Downstairs you'll find gemstones, more findings (sold in bulk mostly), crystals and wholesale products. This store also sells other crafting products for those interested in paper craft, polymer clay or scrapbooking. They also run all sorts of beading classes although I haven't had the chance to try those out.

A great little bead shop with everything you need to make your own. The beads are well organised in…read moretheir own little trays and each item is priced seperate. They also sell kits and gifts, oh and also vouchers and they do workshops fab:)