There was plenty of traffic driving here as expected, a line to turn on Brokaw then Wondo Way (a plaza with McD's). But at least it was moving when I visited on a Sunday afternoon.
Costco does have a few unique things of decent quality, but not a lot of variety for specific items (sometimes just the Costco brand, or Kirkland). They seemed to group some random stuff together, ie. lego flower bouquet, zebra writing pen set, omni telescope, acoustic guitar, and pokemon tins and card sets, all in a row on one aisle.
My favorite part of the store is the fruit section, cuz this I can actually finish, even in bulk. Unfortunately, they don't do fresh produce in small enough sizes to fit my needs. A few items I got this past weekend were halos (cuties), milk chocolate almonds (I prefer dark chocolate, but this is all they offer), and a new windpro umbrella (I know it's hardly necessary in Cali, but I lost mine and don't have much else to use my gift card on, so why not).
Using a gift card without a Costco membership wasn't too complicated, entry was instant with a wave of the card, and I was able to pay at the warehouse self checkout line. However, the worker had to punch in a bunch of codes to allow me to shop with my gift card (due to no Costco membership). And only a specific worker could approve this, not just any employee.
I was able to purchase a hot dog from the checkout line too, but again, the worker had to punch in a code, scan his badge, etc. I'm not sure how difficult it would be trying to use my gift card to make a purchase at the actual food court since these specific employees who can approve it are not readily available and are hard to identify, but I'm gonna try ordering from those self-order kiosks next time.
Though Costco is the only place I know that has a ridiculous line to exit which they are very strict about, luckily it went quickly at the Santa Clara location. Still, my recent experience reminded me of why I don't shop at Costco (crowds of senseless people, giant shopping carts taking up so much space and making me feel claustrophobic, the parking and traffic scene, etc.). Even though it wasn't horrible this past weekend, shopping in bulk doesn't really benefit me, so it's not worth it.
Of course, that dollar fifty hot dog & soda deal is a different story, and is always something I can take advantage of and appreciate (at any location). read more