Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
yes I learned something, but overall very repetitive. Also I want more details on the treasure hunt items.
There's a kind of joy in middle age that is fulfilled by Costco. The burdens of child-rearing, elder care, career responsibilities, nutrition and exercise, leave little room for the unrestrained freedoms of younger years. But the lost of financial splurge does not have to end, once you've found a Costco.
David and Susan Schwartz share their unique enthusiasm for the discount retailer with a A-Z wikipedia style global walkthrough. We get a lot of their personality and window into a marriage with shared purpose! The first portion of the book is dedicated to Costco's history, Sol Price's inheritance to a lot of land that needed shaping into a business opportunity.
We chart the growth of FedMart under the guiding CoreValues of good service, fiduciary responsibility and honest business practices. M&A activity with Wertkauf, and later Price Club with a reconstituted wholesale model as developed by Jeff Brotman and Jim Sinegal, is detailed here. Additional milestones are shared, from fresh food buying opportunities (June 1987) to pharmacy operations (1991) to the late-in-the-game e-commerce operations (1998). All of this before Web 1.0 was truly in it's prime!
The playful second part of the book is where most readers will likely come back to the most. A catalog of fun facts about the retailer. Where to find the smallest warehouse (it's in Juneau Alaska). Where to find unique culinary experiences such as vegemite and butter chicken pie (Australia). Or my personal favorite, what percentage of the world's cashews does Costco sell (50%).
We get facts about the food, the processing plants, employee benefits and Costco's venture into sustainability and environmental awareness. Although the view of the Costco processing is global and largely sunny, there are times the book will give attention to some of the consumer activism. Attention to cage free eggs, educational benefits of employees, inhouse promotions (including cart pushers to pharmacists) and cultural awareness to local food tastes and customs.
The layout of the book rewardings differ layers of attention. From newspaper style comic strip humor, to memorable slogans and dad-joke stories of executives, and the bold print headlines like '800K vehicles' sold, this book is a feast to the eyes. At multiple sections, stories and attention to the inflation resistance hotdog and soda combo. Legendary Warm Wonderful Gene , a local hotdog vendor selling Portland, inspired the now global foodcourt opportunity.
Surely there are books and articles with a more critical look at Costco. We could debate the nature of large discount retailers, the over-emphasis of six sigma principles as opposed to creative local control, and the difficulty of small local businesses to compete. But like many, I remain in awe of Costco's largely unscathed reputation and commitment to straight forwarded principles.
A wonderful stocking stuffer or present for the holidays - and there really is only place you should buy it from.
David and Susan Schwartz share their unique enthusiasm for the discount retailer with a A-Z wikipedia style global walkthrough. We get a lot of their personality and window into a marriage with shared purpose! The first portion of the book is dedicated to Costco's history, Sol Price's inheritance to a lot of land that needed shaping into a business opportunity.
We chart the growth of FedMart under the guiding CoreValues of good service, fiduciary responsibility and honest business practices. M&A activity with Wertkauf, and later Price Club with a reconstituted wholesale model as developed by Jeff Brotman and Jim Sinegal, is detailed here. Additional milestones are shared, from fresh food buying opportunities (June 1987) to pharmacy operations (1991) to the late-in-the-game e-commerce operations (1998). All of this before Web 1.0 was truly in it's prime!
The playful second part of the book is where most readers will likely come back to the most. A catalog of fun facts about the retailer. Where to find the smallest warehouse (it's in Juneau Alaska). Where to find unique culinary experiences such as vegemite and butter chicken pie (Australia). Or my personal favorite, what percentage of the world's cashews does Costco sell (50%).
We get facts about the food, the processing plants, employee benefits and Costco's venture into sustainability and environmental awareness. Although the view of the Costco processing is global and largely sunny, there are times the book will give attention to some of the consumer activism. Attention to cage free eggs, educational benefits of employees, inhouse promotions (including cart pushers to pharmacists) and cultural awareness to local food tastes and customs.
The layout of the book rewardings differ layers of attention. From newspaper style comic strip humor, to memorable slogans and dad-joke stories of executives, and the bold print headlines like '800K vehicles' sold, this book is a feast to the eyes. At multiple sections, stories and attention to the inflation resistance hotdog and soda combo. Legendary Warm Wonderful Gene , a local hotdog vendor selling Portland, inspired the now global foodcourt opportunity.
Surely there are books and articles with a more critical look at Costco. We could debate the nature of large discount retailers, the over-emphasis of six sigma principles as opposed to creative local control, and the difficulty of small local businesses to compete. But like many, I remain in awe of Costco's largely unscathed reputation and commitment to straight forwarded principles.
A wonderful stocking stuffer or present for the holidays - and there really is only place you should buy it from.
I didn’t realize how much I would love learning fun facts about Costco! I recommend this to every Costco member, and those who don’t have a Costco membership (yet).
informative
fast-paced
I love Costco so I enjoyed this but it did get repetitive when mentioning what each store had in different countries, mostly all the same things but some different options at the food court.
informative
fast-paced
informative
slow-paced
informative
fast-paced