My guess is that a lot of folks pay membership fees and then don’t use the store, just like so many folks do with gym memberships.
In this area Costco prices are significantly lower than other stores and I save back my membership fees on gasoline alone in just a few months.
Really? Gas here is only about 4 cents cheaper than at Circle-K. I remember back in about ‘98 or so, gas was selling at about $1.25 and Costco would be 15 cents cheaper. 4 cents off $2.63 is a lot smaller incentive than 15 cents off $1.25.