The much anticipated Costco has finally opened on the North Shore, bringing great deals, prices, and gas to Covington.

The new 159,000-square-foot facility opened on Aug. 28, 2024, and people love it. Hundreds of people waited in line to sign up for memberships, and police cars patrolled all of the traffic for the first week or two after Costco opened. Costco has a wide variety of items, including food, electronics, clothes, and more, and it makes bulk shopping a lot simpler for people in Covington.

This new Costco is an amazing addition to Covington’s many stores because of its amazing marketing in other locations and the quantity and quality of its foods.

Some of Costco’s most famous specialty items are chicken bakes and double chunk chocolate cookies, thanks to the famous TikTockers “Big Aj” and “Big Justice.”

Saint Paul’s senior Rhett Nastasi went to Covington’s Costco and also loves the chicken bake. ”It has the perfect mix of chicken and creaminess, and it’s just overall a good food court item; I have to say, it is my favorite option they have at Costco’s food court.” Costco’s food court’s best deal is a hotdog and refillable drink for only $1.99. 

Costco is a membership-only store, which makes it more organized; however, Costco does not permit a minor to obtain a membership and enter the store without a parent, which is notable for Saint Paul’s students trying to go. Saint Paul’s senior Landon Krebs considers this a flaw with the membership. “A minor should be able to enter Costco with their parent’s membership because they might be without them. If a minor can have a credit card and purchase products, they should be able to have a Costco membership,” said Krebs.

Costco has many good deals, and some of the best are on meat. Costco makes its ground beef from all raw and 88% natural materials. Unlike other companies, they make it themselves. All of their meat products only have a 24-hour shelf life, which means they have new meat every day, so it is always fresh. Other local grocery stores usually keep their food out longer, which means Costco not only does Costco have higher quality meat, but the price per quantity is better as well.

Specifically, one of Costco’s best meat deals is on their New York Strip. They sell it for $10.99 a pound, while other stores sell it for around $15.00 a pound. Costco sells it in packs of four, and other stores sell it in packs of two, which makes the overall package more expensive even though it’s cheaper per pound. Overall, Costco has a far better deal based on quantity, even though it is more expensive. This highlights the pros and cons of buying in bulk.

Many people may wonder what makes Costco so much better than other stores, and it is because Costco is signed to many other companies that sell different products, so when the product comes to Costco, it can sell at a more affordable price.

For example, one of their partners is the Kirkland brand. Most of Costco’s products come from Kirkland and are relatively high-quality for a generic brand. One example of a Kirkland brand item that Costco sells is its milk. Costco sells a gallon for around $3, while other stores sell it for $6, which is very expensive for a gallon of milk.

One of the best deals from Kirkland is their water bottles, which are sold for 25 cents a bottle.

Although Costco has many great deals with other companies, its biggest one has to be Club Demonstration Services (CDS). CDS is signed with Costco worldwide, and they make all their products for Costco. According to one Covington Costco employee, CDS also hands out their products at Costco as free samples, and all their products are high-quality. Every sample served by the CDS is on sale that week, and it can range from food items to drinks.

With this new Costco in town, there are many new job opportunities for the community as well. Costco’s average pay in Louisiana is $20.60 an hour, which is $13.35 above Louisiana’s minimum wage. Most Costco employees say that they have a positive work experience at Costco, which makes it a good job for many because of their price and positive work environment. The new Costco has already hired many employees and plans to eventually have 225.

Many people appreciate the Costco employees, saying that they are very nice and enjoyable to be around. Saint Paul’s teacher, Mr. Whitney Brown, loves the new Covington Costco employees. “I find the employees pleasant and wholly welcoming,” said Brown. Costco’s staff is massive to match the store, and all of its employees have a very positive attitude when they work. 

Costco just opened, and it’s clearly already bringing the boom to Covington.