One of the key things to remember when you are shopping at Costco is that, like an ever-increasing number of stores, they do not offer bags for your shopping at the checkout. Most of the time, the easiest option for both you and the checkout person (and sometimes a packing person too) is using boxes to transport your shopping home…and, if you are like us and own a car with a big boot, to stop it rolling all over the place!
We have been caught out a number of times, when, on reaching the checkout with a load of shopping there are no boxes available anywhere near to use, leaving us wondering how on earth we were going to transport so many individual items.
Costco Melbourne has large wire bins stationed just outside the checkouts, which, at the beginning of the day a full of boxes for customers to use. These are topped up throughout the day, but can also sit empty for significant periods. There are also a few of these ‘box bins’ located throughout the store, so it can be handy if you see a full one to grab a few boxes before you reach the checkouts.
Another way we ensure we always have boxes available is to grab any that have been emptied but staff have not yet removed from shelves…the fridge in the fruit and veg department is our favorite hunting ground.
If you fail at all these methods, or if it is a busy day, the Melbourne store (not sure about the others?) has a giant bin downstairs in the undercover carpark which usually has boxes discarded by people in the carpark – ok yes they’ve been used but isnt the catch-phrase of our time ‘reuse-recycle’?