Colorado Springs Shopaholics now have one less reason to make the trek to Denver.
February 20th (reportedly even before the official 8 am time) saw the opening of our long awaited Costco, at 5885 Barnes Road at Powers Blvd. The 158,000 square feet members-only wholesale club holds everything from seafood to jewelry (no reports yet on if our local store stocks caskets; a hot news topic from a few years back). Eager bargain shoppers, and even news crews, flocked to the opening.
One of the Costco employees said this is one of the nicest Costco stores she's ever seen, so we guess it was worth the wait. There was plenty to sample, it was well organized, and the staff was very friendly.
While the opening day saw brisk activity, it was much more sedate than Tuesday night’s non-shopping preview, when approximately 5,000 people showed up, crowding the store and snarling traffic in the area.
This is Costco’s ninth Colorado location. The company has 532 membership warehouses worldwide, including stores in Mexico, Japan, and Canada. The corporation, based in Issaquah, WA, also plans to open stores in Australia.
The only credit card Costco accepts is American Express; they also accept checks, debit cards, and wads of cash.
While good deals abound, warehouse stores can be hard on the wallet, as we’re tempted to buy so much more than we need – or didn’t know we needed until we happened upon it – like the Frasier episode when Niles discovered a similar store, and bought a gallon of capers. Perhaps a cheapskate friend or family member can accompany you on your first few trips… someone to say “you don’t need that!”
Is it ever too early to start Christmas shopping? 
Ken and Sandy Wickham, the authors of this article, are REALTORS® with RE/MAX Real Estate Group in Colorado Springs, CO, and they welcome your real estate inquiries. To contact them, visit their website.
