Some years ago, I wrote a review of the Walmart in Flemington, and how I came to be a semi-regular…read morepatron (I lost my job at the same time as an old friend lost his, and we'd sometimes drive to the Flemington Walmart to do our food shopping with what was left of our unemployment checks). Later, after we became once again gainfully employed, we'd occasionally drive out in this same direction because he was a Costco fan. I usually just accompanied him, acting as his sounding board (bored) as he talked inexhaustibly about himself (he's a nice guy but narcissistic to the point of sociopathy).
I was impressed by the sheer quantity of stuff in the place, and the prices seemed right, but I wasn't too interested in buying items in bulk. And you had to be a member. (I'm old enough to remember the TV commercials for members-only JGE Appliances in the 1970s, which would end with someone asking, "Is that the story, Jerry?" and a bald, fat guy would stretch out his arms and reply, "Dat's da storee-eeee!!!")
At 1 point, my friend said, "You should get a member's card. It's cheaper if you have a relative who is already a member." "Maybe I could pass as your Irish cousin." And then didn't think too much of it until a week or so later he said, "I can get you a card for a fraction of the regular price." "How?" "I'll say you're my partner." I'm not a big fan of lying, and I responded, "Look, I'm not a homophobe, but I'm not gay either. You sure this isn't some kind of bizarre wish fulfillment on your part?" "Don't flatter yourself. You want the card or not?" I signed up for the card with my partner.
In truth, I didn't use it much. When I came here, it was with my friend. Once I came by myself to buy paper towels in bulk (during the tail end of the Covid frenzy a few years back). I haven't been here since, but out of curiosity, I visited recently, during the intense heat wave.
Costco was crowded, but parking was plentiful. I walked past the tire center (which my friend swears by) and through the entrance. I had my member card but wasn't sure it was still valid. There was a guy monitoring those coming into the store, and I thought, "Oh, oh...here's where I get turned around and sent packing!" You had to swipe your card in front of a monitor (don't remember that from the last time I was here), but...surprisingly...mine still worked and I was admitted into this enormous commercial warehouse.
They seem to have everything. Gigantic TVs. Clothing. Fans that spray water. All kinds of food in bulk. Onions. Shrimp. Tomatoes. Butter cookies (which I was tempted to buy). Paper towels. Tissue. Ketchup. Coffee. Etc. There are stands with an employee offering a sample of something.
They have a hearing aid center, a pharmacy, an eye exam center.
My memory is that the check-out counters move pretty fast (as opposed to its low-rent cousin Walmart) but I wasn't interested enough in buying anything to test out the accuracy of that memory. However, I was hungry, and I always did want to sample some of their "fast food." Soda, pizza slices, hot dogs. Some tables for sitting, some for standing. I love pizza and I haven't had any in a long while, so I ordered 2 pepperoni slices with a large Coke. Despite the crowds, service was polite, and fast.
I could have used a tray to carry my food, but I balanced everything and made my way awkwardly over to 1 of the tables. The pizza slices were big and were actually tasty. Messy, but then that's a good sign when it comes to pizza (for me, anyway). Nobody in a gourmet pizza establishment is going to lose sleep over Costco pizza, but...hey, I enjoyed it! I paid with a $20 bill and the cost of the 2 pepperoni slices, and the large Coke came to just under $5. I know of pizza places where you'll pay that much for 1 slice. A much smaller slice. Without pepperoni.
My last stop was the bathroom to wash my hands. The bathroom seemed pretty clean and taken care of.
I still can't see myself coming here regularly. Hunterdon County is relatively far from me (I know there's a Costco in Bridgewater, which is closer to me, but this is the location I've become used to), it's not my "happy place," and I don't see myself buying too much of anything in bulk. The TV I have is big enough, thank you. But everything here, price wise, seems to be a tremendous bargain, they seem to carry just about anything you can imagine (although I didn't see any books, CDs, or DVDs, which I do remember...let's give credit where credit is due... Walmart having in stock. Even if the DVDs were of the "Duck Dynasty" type, the books "Joel Osteen" paens to Christian enrichment, and the CDs substandard pop and country). The people working here seem relatively friendly and agreeable.
It is what it is, and it does what it does well. Very well. My partner and I... I mean, my old friend and I are fans. I'm less enthusiastic than my friend is, but when push comes to shove--- I recommend it. Highly recommend, if bulk shopping is your thing.
