Posted on 08/28/2019 8:42:41 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Costco has built a cult following in the United States — now it's China's turn. The country's first Costco store is so popular that it had to shut down early on its first day because of too many shoppers.
The retailer opened its first physical outlet in Shanghai on Tuesday morning, and it quickly got too crowded to stay open.
"The store has been clogged up with crowds," Costco said in a text message alert to its members in China. "To provide you with better shopping experience, Costco will suspend business in the afternoon. Please don't come."
Police were deployed to restore order and manage traffic jams around the store, with law enforcement urging people to remain calm.
"For your safety, we hope citizens who want to go to Costco can maintain a rational attitude about consumption and avoid going out during rush hours.
Those who have already gone there, you must follow orders," the Shanghai police said in a statement on its verified account on Chinese social network Weibo. The photos posted by police with the statement included one of a sign Costco put up outside the store, which read: "The parking lot is full. It takes three hours to wait."
While Costco has had an online presence in China for five years through a partnership with Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba, the new brick-and-mortar store in Shanghai marks a significant investment.
Costco's annual membership program, which accounts for the bulk of its profit, is also cheaper in China - it costs 299 yuan ($42) compared to $60 in the United States.
(Excerpt) Read more at 9news.com.au ...
Nothing but stuff made in America?
China has probably never seen the likes of this excess.
Unmentioned is the source of the Costco merchandise.
I suspect that rather than NABS, they sell large packages of individual wrapped snack food.
“Welcome to Costco, I Rove You!”
Just looking at the few pictures I could see, it looks like US companies, but then again, how many US companies sell stuff made in China.
Wouldn’t that be a hoot. Selling Made in China stuff to Chinese marketed through the US.
I’ll wager they ran out of $1.50 hot dogs after the first hour.
Made from real dogs, no doubt.
LOL
There is NO DIVERSITY in this image!!!
It should be taken down, ALL of them should be taken down.
I don’t see a black or Puerto Rican or white person in the bunch!!
And I don’t see any hijabs either.
Disgusting.
Wow. And I thought Saturday crowds at our local Costco were bad!!
With my notorious ability to always pick the wrong line (aka snail checkout), I shall not be shopping in China anytime soon at a Costco.. or anywhere else near there for quite awhile.
Eh, no Costco shoppers are not cultists.
Some writers are.
It’s amazing how much they look like Americans. Dress is almost the same, gestures and actions, tech, etc etc.
Capitalism one communism zero
Quick pictures of the old Russian stores with nothing on the shelves or current Venezuelan ones with nothing on the shelves for a comparison
Costco should limit the number of family members that can go in the store at the same time. The Hispanic have taken over the Costco’s in eastern Washington and you can’t get through the aisle because they bring all of the kids and grandparents with them and they block the aisles around all of the food samples or the kids are running all over and their parents ignore them...
It got worse when Costco announced that they would accept food stamps and WIC...
Hahahahaha...very first thing into my mind when I saw the thread!
The middle class lifestyle in China's bigger cities is indistinguishable from the USA. Chinese are much more similar to Americans than most other peoples around the world. And we both have Communist governments to contend with. :)
That's why it is important to keep in mind during this trade war that the war is against Emperor Xi and his team of manipulators, not the Chinese people - who tend not to like their government any more than we do but have to be more circumspect in their speech.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.