The new Costco near campus opened Oct 25 (Alan Zhou/Student Life).

The wait is finally over. The 151,000 square foot Costco — only an eight-minute drive from campus —  has opened in University City, giving WashU students access to exceptional bargains, a tire center, independent optometrists, a food court, deli, bakery, and gas station. 

To many frequenters of Costco, like myself, Costco is far from a regular grocery store. Admittedly, a large appeal of Costco is its exceptional inventory at exceptional prices. I mean, who can resist a $4.99 rotisserie chicken or a $1 Texas-sized churro?  (Due to inflation, probably, Costco eventually upped the churro price to $1.50). 

 I’ve never been able to fully verbalize the adoration I had for a place which to many, is just the place to shop at. Behind the big bargains and large quantities, I see a Costco that not many people can. A Costco that lacks interpretation for what it truly is.With so many businesses attempting to make the most money off of each dollar you give them, shopping at Costco feels like a safe-space for your wallet.

Being at the new University City Costco helped me better understand why I hold this place close to my heart.

It all hit me when I struggled to find a parking space in the 950-car lot outside the warehouse.  

As I struggled to find a spot nearby, I wasn’t upset when I had to park far from the entrance. I actually welcomed it.

Costco is a place best enjoyed if you take your time. Waiting to check out in a line that stretches from the cashier’s to the poultry section in the back feels too short at Costco. I love to leisurely walk around like an old man, with both arms clasped behind my back staring at products I will never buy. Life moves too fast, and Costco seems to slow all that down. 

Walking inside the warehouse made evident another facet of what I love about Costco: the diversity of shoppers. To me and many others, Costco holds cultural significance.

 “Costco is a place where my family interacted with western culture,” said Nathan Xu, a sophomore at WashU. 

There’s equity among shoppers around important aspects: prices and curiosity. The low prices of everything: from the newest, techiest air fryer to a giant 25-foot stuffed teddy bear, are available for everyone, regardless of who walks through the entrance. 

Curiosity comes in the form of free samples of foods I have never tried before. Curiosity can also be seen when someone who looks nothing like me eagerly fills their cart with coconut kulfi, or chana dal, something I would eat at home with my own family. 

To be able to discover different things about the people around by purchasing what they go home with is also an incredible way to get a sneak peak into someone else’s culture, and is how I assimilated myself with Western culture when I arrived here from India.

After filling our cart to the brim, we felt like champions of our bargains, and proceeded to my favorite part of the Costco experience: the food court. $1.50 hot dog, extremely large, cheap, delicious pizzas, and my favorite, chicken bakes. 

Food is the catalyst of connection, and eating it with friends at the end of my beautiful experience at Costco felt like the world’s greatest cherry on top of a mountain of cherries on top.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the new University City Costco yet, I urge you to go check it out. If you don’t have a membership, tag along with a friend who does, or have your parents send you a Costco gift card if they have a membership themselves. Or, sign-up!

 Memberships start at $60 a year, and allow two people to be card owners, so split it between your roommate, or another Costco fanatic. And if $30 doesn’t seem like it’s worth the trip to Costco, know that I spent more on a Marquee ticket, and ultimately had more fun at Costco.