COSTCO vs. COSTCO Business Centers
What’s the difference between COSTCO Wholesale and COSTCO Business Center stores?
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Most of us in the Overland, Missouri area know that the new COSTCO (at Woodson and Olive, by I-170) is open and well worth joining for numerous reasons including gas prices. Some of us have also heard a COSTCO Business Center is being built nearby (Lackland and St. Charles Rock Road next to I-170). However, how many of us know what the differences are between these two types of stores?
To start with while COSTCO Wholesale stores have products that appeal to business owners in various industries, they’re primarily geared towards end using consumers. COSTCO Business Centers flip that focus. These stores are designed specifically for small business owners particularly in the restaurant and convenience store sectors, though they can appeal to everyday consumers as well.
One of the differences people will see between these stores are the quantities available. while COSTCO Wholesale customers are used to buying in bulk, COSTCO Business Centers take that to a different level.
For example, would you be interested in a 5 gallon bucket of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce? How about a 7.3 lb. Can of Bushes Original Baked Beans? Our house just might make use of a 5 gallon bucket of Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Also, the 35 lb. bucket of Jimbo’s Jumbos Creamy Peanut Butter is an amazing option as well. This may seem like I’m making fun of these quantities, but I’m really not. If you own a restaurant or another business that uses these products regularly they’re probably great sizes for you. You’ll also find giant bags of prepped foods (like chopped onions, shredded lettuce, etc.), as well as huge bags of raw potatoes, onions, and more. For those of us who don’t need these massive sizes (which would include me according to my wife), they do carry smaller quantities of these products as well.
Another difference between these stores are their hours. Regular COSTCOs are open 10:00 AM — 8:30 PM Monday — Friday, and they close at 6:00 PM on the weekends. COSTCO Business Centers open much earlier at 7:00 AM and also close earlier at 6:00 PM Monday — Friday. They close even earlier at 4:00 PM on Saturdays and they’re closed on Sundays as well.
Product selection is also different. Like a regular COSTCO their Business Centers carry big boxes of assorted snacks, paper goods, and much more. However, they also carry commercial appliances, professional janitorial supplies, and restaurant equipment as well. According to their website COSTCO Business Centers shelves are stocked with many different items, about 70% of which differ from what you’ll find at regular COSTCO stores.
For example, do you have a need for a nearly 4 gallon portable coffee dispenser (sure it can be used for other things, but why would you)? If so, they’ve got you covered. You can also find a 50 lb. capacity Deep Fryer, a 75 lb. capacity Ice Maker, a new, old-school style Mop Bucket, and a 1000 Count box of Heinz Catsup packets (or a 7 lb. can if you prefer). While I haven’t seen one yet myself, their massive walk-in commercial meat selection is said to be amazing, with regular great deals as well (some of which are rumored to be below COSTCO Wholesale prices).
Somethings you won’t find in a COSTCO Business Center include a pharmacy. Also, no one is handing free samples for you to double back on three or four times either (wait, other people do that right?). They also don’t carry clothing (outside of a limited selection of uniform items), nor do they carry alcohol products (sorry bar owners, but you can find a lot in this category at COSTCO Wholesale stores).
Additionally COSTCO Business Centers don’t have the same intensity or noise level as many people who live near one of the existing 24 COSTCO Business Center locations say about them. This could be due to the different customer focus as well as the extensive deliverly options these centers tend to offer.
Existing COSTCO customers will be happy to know you’re COSTCO Wholesale membership is all you need to shop at COSTCO Business Centers. You also don’t need to start a business, unless you want to have products delivered as it looks like these centers limit delivery to commercial addresses. Note, if you are a business be sure to avoid scheduling a delivery when you’re not open as that delivery will be returned to the store to be delivered at a later date if no one is at your business to receive it.
Overall, COSTCO Business Centers are not the same as COSTCO Wholesale stores. However, the two seem to complement each other well. There hasn’t been an announcement as to when the new COSTCO Business Center will open in St. John, but when it does I suspect it will be a great addition to our area. I know I’ll be shopping there (even if Barb will never let me buy that 5 gallon bucket of Sweet Baby Ray’s).