Costco. Is it govt. run?

[FuZzYknUckLeS]

I'm in the Okanagan and stop by at a Costco while I'm there. They have a pile of a certain large appliance that I want to buy, but no way to get it home. So, I get back to Van. and order the sucker online, since shipping is free to my door. Now, almost a week later, I get online and check the tracking number. It was shipped out of Concord Ontario 3 days ago.

 

[Dakota Wood]

I'm in the Okanagan and stop by at a Costco while I'm there. They have a pile of a certain large appliance that I want to buy, but no way to get it home. So, I get back to Van. and order the sucker online, since shipping is free to my door. Now, almost a week later, I get online and check the tracking number. It was shipped out of Concord Ontario 3 days ago.

Is Sears govt run? Everything is shipped out of ON, and their call centre is in Belleville....close enough to Ottawa

Nice to know that Costco ships free tho'

 

[Rod Steel]

Ontario is the center of the universe. Ask anyone from TO.

 

[buddha2]

What you seem to have failed to make the real connection on, is that government is often the most, efficient, cost effective way to deliver services. In particular, like Costco, on many of the services we tend to take for granted, it's particular value is in bulk purchasing/economies of scale. Central shipping is another frequently used concept. FedEx, UPS, you name it - every piece shipped is usually first sent to one massive sorting depot. I believe FedEx's is at its home base in Memphis....

 

[Maury Beniowski]

Costco.ca features mostly products from suppliers that are "drop-shipped" from their inventories. There is no way Costco could stock or warehouse the goods in the variety and in quantities required to service their clients, us. In essence then, suppliers are paying for the privilege to market their wares online under the Costco umbrella, as it were. They increase their market coverage, provide the same warranties and service as Costco, feature complimentary shipping to the client, and pay Costco a percentage of the revenues. Simple formula, AKA synergy... It works very well, and this concept is used by many large corporations where established branding is frequently dovetailed with production and inventory capacity.

 

[JustAGuy]

Central warehousing is not exactly a radically new retailing concept.

 

[LonelyGhost]

I'm in the Okanagan and stop by at a Costco while I'm there. They have a pile of a certain large appliance that I want to buy, but no way to get it home. So, I get back to Van. and order the sucker online, since shipping is free to my door. Now, almost a week later, I get online and check the tracking number. It was shipped out of Concord Ontario 3 days ago.

if costco was government run, the website would be in French only, the guy
taking the calls would be Iranian, and the item would be shipped from the warehouse in Delta through Inunivit to Ontario where it would be inspected,
a report in both official languages written about it, two guys would further
study it, it would go for language training and it would be sent to your
address in Newfoundland.

 

[DJLAW]

Costco's central buying office is in Ottowa.