A phenomenon that’s only about 30 years old is the warehouse store. There are about 3 or 4 major ones. They include: Costco, BJs, and Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart.

These stores are large enough to be a warehouse, hence the name. They are really bare bones. Most of the store is self-service and items are sold in bulk. Coupons are accepted in a very limited way, and there are rarely any additional store sales. What you see is what you get.

I enjoy an occasional trip to Costco because I enjoy the samples and I have found a few items that are really good buys. For example, the 32 count of Yoo Hoo at $7.49, is much cheaper than anyplace else. Three dozen eggs sell for $2.49, a best buy. But my objection here is some of the bulk buying. A 69oz. box of Cheerios will last too long in my house to maintain its freshness. The 15-roll pack of Bounty paper towels comes out to about $1 a roll. I can do much better at CVS when the 8 pack is on sale for $4.99 or $3.99 with my $1 coupon, just $.50 a roll.