A group of hardcore Costco fans has set up shop outside the soon-to-be opened megastore – over 16 hours before it opens.
Poppy Keane and three friends, who dub themselves the ‘Costco crazies’, were the first outside the store at 2.30pm on Tuesday, ready for its opening at 8am on Wednesday.
Costco is known for its huge variety of bulk items – especially food and other household products.
The vast 14,800m² megastore at the Auckland suburb of Westgate has items ranging from coffins, a nine-foot-tall talking witch for Halloween, $2399.99 Alexander McQueen handbags, and packs of 48 rolls of toilet paper the size of a child’s cot mattress.
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Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Poppy Keane is camping outside the soon-to-be-opened Costco megastore.
Keane has been excited about the store’s opening since it was first announced Costco was coming to New Zealand.
“There’s just the excitement of [having] such a different store in New Zealand – it’s such a big step for the retail industry.”
With a couple of camping chairs, some yoga mats, pillows and a single blanket, her group was prepared for the night ahead.
“We also have snacks: chips and chocolate.”
There were other cars and a van parked in the area, but they weren’t “as dedicated” as her group was, Keane said.
Ricky Wilson/Stuff
Shoppers will need a Costco membership, which costs $60 per year, to go into the store.
The group’s the agenda for the morning includes checking out the food court and getting a slice of pizza, followed by walking down every single aisle.
Snacks and sweets would be the most purchased item, said Keane, who is having her hens party this weekend and needs some good hangover food for that.
“We’ll see how far our bank accounts get.”
Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
The group has set up camp with a couple of chairs, a yoga mat and some pillows.
The group has never done anything like camping outside a store before, so it was a new experience, she said.
“We wanted to see all the buzz.”
Keane only had one message: a thank you to her boss for letting her have the day off.
Patrick Noone, Costco’s New Zealand managing director, took media on a tour of the global retail giant’s store on Friday, with its towering shelves almost stocked to capacity.
Noone expects such a rush at opening, that Costco has a special traffic plan prepared, and hired a neighbouring car park to supplement its own 800-space car park.
The store opens at 8am on Wednesday, with a ribbon cutting ceremony just before at 7.30am.
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