OMG, this is so DEI/woke! I hope donvict will lean on these guys and make them stop this terrible stuff.
this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
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I have a feeling this is some anti union move, given it's happening during negotiations with the Teamsters. Perhaps it's a smaller increase than what the union members want, meant to weaken their resolve?
Costco is one of the most pro worker employers in the US
anti union move
Bold move, increasing employee salaries to fight unions!
Not sure if this is sarcasm or not so I'm gonna say it - yes offering higher wages to obsolete a union is literally a strategy to get rid of the union. It's just the least reprehensible strategy. Once the union's gone, the pay increases can get less steep or disappear altogether. If there's nothing for workers to hold over the firm's head and the labor market in their sector isn't tight (it isn't) then the firm sets the wages.
If I've learned anything about corporations over the last few years it's that nothing stops them from seeking profit growth and the long term trend is that anything is fair game, even previously great employee compensation. There might be people in Costco's exec/shareholder layer who are ideologically driven to pay workers well. They aren't going to stay there forever. If you want to glean at how things are likely to change, just look at how most other firms are operated. Chances are the next exec layer would come from there.
Meanwhile Costco in Australia is pushing to have penalty rates abolished. They might be good by American standards but they can get fucked trying to erode Australian workers rights.
Trump promised no taxes on what we call overtime. Usually employers will pay 1.5x over 40hrs. However the taxes for those hours get deducted from your paycheck at your highest marginal tax rate. When you file your tax return this all balances out, but you don't see much immediate gain from working OT and people will say "I don't want to get bumped into the next tax bracket, so I don't want a raise!" Even correcting a coworker one time, they responded, "you'll learn when you're older."
My guess is that employers will stop paying the additional pay and tell the workers they're making more this way. So basically a "tax cut" but employers will ultimately get the benefit of it. People in the U.S. don't understand how taxes work and pay to file them even though it's really easy for the majority of people. They even call the basic form a 1040-EZ.
What's a "penalty rates"?
Had to look it up myself, it's their name for what Americans call "overtime"
like if you work over 40 hours in a week, any hours you work over 40 are paid out at 150% of your normal rate, some places do 200% for Sunday or holidays.
Found this article from a couple days ago.
https://www.actu.org.au/media-release/1-million-australian-workers-at-risk-of-penalty-rate-cuts-while-bossesare-promised-free-lunches/
Ok fine, maybe now I'll consider getting a membership. But I still don't have room for bulk items.
You can buy liquor from Costco without a membership, and it isn't packaged in bulk. Prices are most likely cheaper than liquor or grocery stores.
KS brands are made for Costco typically in the same places the name brands are and quality is very decent.
That is likely very tied to where you live. Liquor sales laws vary widely from state to state, and sometimes county to county.
I'm moving from a state where I can buy liquor in Costco to one where I can't :/
Edit: that Kirkland añejo tequila is so fuckin good.
They sell 36x18x60 shelves for $30. Just started going last week and it was the first thing I looked for
Look at this guy who doesn’t live in a 400sqft apartment with only street parking.
No, didn't you read? He lives in a 36x18x60 set of shelves!
They're plastic so they'll last forever, BIFL!
That implies that they don't have room for bulk items but do have room for giant shelves? Sometimes a lack of space is just a lack of space.
I don't qualify for membership, but as far as I can tell its generally only useful if you want to get expensive branded items for a bit less. I could get the same product type for less at Aldi. 12 tins of chopped tomatoes for £7.19, meanwhile at Aldi they are £0.39 each which would come to £4.68 for 12 of them.
Also I can walk to Aldi, the nearest costco is like a £30 return on the train. I normally only spend £30 on shopping each week for the 2 of us anyway.
Yeah, Costco is a a store for the upper middle class suburban family type. That was basically always their bread and butter as those are people with the space and need for constant shopping that can be sold some faux premium items alongside some real ones as a one stop solution.
Did you know Name Brands will make specific Costco versions that are meant to mimic the expected item but be slightly modified to use cheaper parts or less material.
Edit for clarity: q-tips with less tip, Vitamix sold as same model but less parts or features, Lucky brand jeans using cheaper material, name brand sponges being thinner, name brand pads being less absorbent, all sold with the same name and branding as their non bulk counterpart but using less material to make them often inferior for price to value.
There are so few things that are better or cheaper to buy in the bulk at Costco to get your money's worth of the yearly fee and that is the point. They make a profit.
It just doesn't make much sense to shop at Costco if you are actually on a budget or don't have the space.
Did you know brands will make specific Costco versions that are meant to mimic the expected item but be slightly modified to use cheaper parts or less material.
The opposite for food products. I've heard from people who supply Kirkland-branded stuff, and with the level of requirements put on it, those same people have no problem at all buying there.
Sure those are just generics. Take the same manufacturing and modify the process as needed for consistency and value. But those generics can also be bought at regular grocery stores without paying a $100 entry fee.
I am referring more to the upsell items, clothing, books, furniture, electronics. Those items are often sourced to be modified in a way that gives better profit margins while still appearing as a better deal than buying the name brand elsewhere. But it comes at a cost of lower quality on those items but because of their infinite return policy it's often ignored.
It's not an end of the world type thing but it contributes to waste for perceived value. I understand that people love Costco and that I'm going to not be looked at lovingly for calling it out but it's an issue I see and wish to point out when possible.
lol… You just propagandized…. generic products? I can’t possibly think of a more pointlessly harmless thing that everyone is already aware of to try and villainize.
No, yes but no. I mean, and even said, name brand items like blenders with slightly smaller or cheaper bowls, lower quality metal, name brand clothes at Costco are similar to Ross in that they are made saying it the same product but are cheaper stitching and material.
I know what generic products are I am speaking towards the ones they offer as premium at a discount are discounted because of less premium parts from the brand name.
Why would I be against generics?
Edit as a further example because I guess I wasn't understood. Q-tip brand q-tips have been called out for their Costco ones being flimsier or having less spun cotton on the tips than their products at other stores. Because it helps profit them a little more money when it's sold at a lower price. Quality is not consistent because of its market share.
You need to qualify for membership in the UK?
As an American, It's the cheapest place to get a variety of fruits, veggies, several types of cheese, coffee, and toilet paper, at least on average. The catch is just that you need to buy in large quantities. They definitely have fancy and expensive brands too, but I don't think they do as well here. They're also a really popular place to fuel up cars, because they're usually cheaper than the area around them, but sometimes up to 10% cheaper.
I guess that you need to drive a car there is also a catch, but I just moved to the second place I've ever lived that's within reasonable walking distance of a grocery store, so driving to get groceries is normal to me. I lived near an Aldi for a few years, which was awesome.
In the UK its pretty normal if you live in a town to have multiple shops within an easy walking distance. I usually cycle as its easier to carry stuff back in bags on my bike. Sometimes get a weeks shopping for the 2 of us on my bike.
You technically have to qualify for membership...But they're not exactly rigorous in the checks.
There is a certain type of blow-hard over here who will make qualifying for a costco membership a point of pride.
Fortunately, most of ours can be reached by bus too.
Unions and striking work
Which is why Trump will be making them illegal ASAP.
Well, at least when my disabled ass loses my "welfare" (federally directed VA disability payments), I'll have a soul crushing retail job to hope for
Worked at Costco for 2 years. Most of the employees love their jobs. I wanted more and move on, but kid you not, there are people still working at my old warehouse that started the same day I did 20 years ago. Wages were good, the benefits were great, and everyone respected each other.
I go to Costco, and I often notice the same set of workers there year over year. One of our former neighbors worked there and had several family members working there.
You don't see that often in retail. They must be doing something right.
How physically demanding is it?
Here's to less soulcrushing work and more fascistcrushing work!
I hear fascist crushers are understaffed
Interesting to see how valuable employees are isn't it
Most importantly... if you ask the conservatives, if you pay your workers a living wage, you fail capitalism your stock prices are doomed
https://www.financecharts.com/compare/COST,WMT
Yet unless I'm an idiot, when I put the chart out to 10 years... I see costco's stock price leaping... and walmarts price pretty damn flat.
It looks that way because Costco’s stock per unit is around 10x of that of Walmart.* Costco did grow more in five years. 220% vs 150% of Walmart.
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/COST/
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/WMT/
*There are many mode units of Walmart stock so the company is worth more in total. But you’d be better of buying COST five years ago. For the soul and wallet 😄)
I live near a city that has both a Sam's Club and a Costco. I wonder how they compare vis a vis sales, pay, and employee retention?
Sam's club is still basically Walmart, so I'd say not great.
Hell ya
Damn!