1. They Lure You With The Layout
Every Costco member knows what it's like to show up at the warehouse with a few essentials in mind, but leave with a cart full of bulk items you picked up on the way to the right section. While this may be partly due to a lack of impulse control (guilty!), it also has a lot to do with the layout of the warehouse.
Since the store is so big, you might have to make a bit of a journey to get to your desired destination (such as the paper towel aisle), and on your way there, you're bound to come across some items you just can't resist. That's no accident! Costco sets their stores up strategically so that you're more likely to pass by things you want while you're searching for the things you need, including limited time items you may worry you'll never be able to find again. In fact, according to Yahoo Finance, items are frequently moved around so that they may not be in the same place they were last time you visited the store. That means you'll have to search even more, making it difficult to make a quick stop for some TP without coming home with a few unexpected purchases. Those store designers are smart—and they get us every time.
2. Risk-Free Satisfaction Guarantee
Another sneaky way Costco gets you to spend more than you intended is by offering a risk-free 100% satisfaction guaranteed return policy on most items in the store, with just a few exceptions. And I don't know about you, but I fall for a good return policy nearly every time. Why wouldn't you spend money on something if you could easily get that money back, should you change your mind later on? No need to stand in the aisle deliberating over whether or not it's worth the money—just throw it in the cart and deal with that later.
But of course, when the time comes to actually return the item and get your money back, many of us are lazy (or just forgetful). Just think about how much money Costco makes by selling items to customers who plan on getting their money back eventually, but never actually put in the effort (or, of course, just end up surprisingly satisfied with a product they wouldn't have bought otherwise).
3. Free Samples Lead To Bulk Buys
Who doesn't love a tasty free sample from Costco? With all of the food available to try, you could practically put a meal together without having to stop at the food court—and all for the low price of zero dollars. Unfortunately, though, the money-spending part comes in when your tastebuds can't resist the temptation, and you convince yourself you should go ahead and buy that food you just tried in bulk.
Try all you might to save money, sometimes nothing can win you over quite like some great-tasting food. And why would you deny yourself the pleasure of being able to eat it later at home?! This is the power of the Costco sample, and it's pretty hard to resist. What begins is a free bite turns into yet another sale for them.
If any of these money-making tactics sound familiar to you, it's likely you regularly spend a few extra bucks than intended when shopping at Costco. Now that you're aware of the tricks at hand, you can be better prepared to fight temptation when you're in the store; if you feel yourself falling for the trap, you may be able to resist! But sometimes, you'll just have to succumb to the power of Costco and spend a few extra bucks. After all, what could it hurt?