Costco's opening triggers bulk-buying fervor

As the amusing Costco internet memes, like owning an SUV and a vacation house to make room for a giant strawberry bear toy or using the quantity of consumed Kirkland food wraps to measure time, remain vivid in many people’s memories, the U.S-based behemoth retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. has triggered a new wave of bulk-buying spree in the South China market, as evidenced by the official opening of its Shenzhen outlet in Longhua District on Friday.

The shopping spree was already palpable ahead of the opening, with over 90,000 registered as Costco members as of early January, statistics from the company showed.

The number of registered members at the Shenzhen warehouse had surpassed 140,000 as of Friday, establishing it as the Costco outlet with the highest number of members registered on opening day. The store has also set a new record for opening day sales among all Costco outlets on the Chinese mainland, which surpassed 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million).

Costco now operates six warehouse clubs on the Chinese mainland, with two in Shanghai, one in Suzhou, one in Ningbo, one in Hangzhou, and one in Shenzhen. It has also set up its South China headquarters in Longhua.

Carts carrying Lotso, a fluffy villain from Pixar’s Toy Story 3, are seen at the exit of Costco Wholesale Shenzhen Warehouse in Longhua District on Friday, the opening day of the store. The toy was in high demand on the day. Photos by Wang Haolan

Big box club, buying in bulk

The 44,500-sqm warehouse, with a shopping area of 15,000 sqm, found itself overwhelmed by local customers’ enthusiasm. The fervor began as early as 4 a.m. Friday.

At 8:30 a.m., as the outlet officially opened its doors to the public, around 4,500 people swarmed into the store promptly, with an additional 3,500 still waiting in a long queue. By 10:30 a.m., the store notified all its members through text messages that the venue had reached full capacity and new arrivals would need to wait in line for over three hours.

A resident surnamed Yang poses for a photo with the products she bought at the exit of Costco store in Longhua on Friday.

A citizen surnamed Yang told Shenzhen Daily that she and her friend arrived before 8 a.m., waiting for over an hour for their turn to enter the store.

“We focused on popular deli items and fresh produce like chocolate milk and strawberries,” Yang said. “The store was incredibly crowded, with people waiting in queues everywhere. Although we didn’t stay for too long, we still ended up spending over 1,000 yuan.”

Another citizen, surnamed Wang, drove to the outlet with her family from Longgang District.

“We came to buy some seafood for our family banquet. The store sells quality sea prawn and cod,” she said.

Many customers shared their preferences with Shenzhen Daily, with the top picks being the renowned “benihoppe (red face)” strawberries from Japan, medium- and giant-sized Lotso strawberry bear plush toys, Kirkland Signature’s Italian Strawberry Marit bread, the Crown 28-inch (71.12-centimeters) PC suitcase, chocolate milk, and even pricey items such as Moutai spirit, gold jewelry, and Hermes handbags.

Staffers with Costco Wholesale Shenzhen Warehouse give bottled water to customers waiting outside the store on Friday.

New shopping place for HKers

At the exit of the store, Alison Zeng, a YouTube influencer from Hong Kong with over 100,000 followers, was wrapping up her Costco haul video with a fully loaded trolley in her background.

Zeng drove to Shenzhen and opted to stay in the city overnight in order to secure a spot among the first batch of customers.

In her video, Zeng introduced highlight products in the outlet. Her video has so far garnered over 50,000 views on YouTube.

A recent report by Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Ominmedia Center highlighted that a Hong Kong travel agency has introduced two-day-one-night Shenzhen tours priced between HK$299 (US$38.24) and HK$399. Itineraries include visits to destinations like Gankeng Hakka Town, Guanlan Printmaking Village, and a three-hour shopping session at Costco. As a bonus, participants in groups of over two will receive a Costco membership card.

Longhua has also launched two free bus lines connecting the store with Futian Checkpoint and Shenzhen North Railway Station, respectively, to facilitate travelers from Hong Kong.