| I used to love the thought of going to the | | | | lines and a parking lot that would make most |
| local wholesale warehouse club, where the | | | | race car pit crews shudder in fear.Wholesale |
| products are stacked up to the warehouse | | | | warehouse shopping clubs almost seem designed |
| ceiling and the shopping carts are brimming | | | | for those who don't discriminate on price, |
| with rolls of toilet paper and cases of | | | | who love inconvenience and inconsistency in |
| cheese snacks. Where else could you pay a | | | | product availability, and who want to build |
| memberbership fee of a thirty or forty | | | | their afternoon or evening around a shopping |
| dollars per year and have access to products | | | | trip to a single store.Why would people build |
| by the caseload at a discount?After joining | | | | their shopping lifestyle around that type of |
| such a club I realized that not all the | | | | shopping experience? Perceived value?It |
| prices were cheaper than the non-membership | | | | doesn't make sense for my household to change |
| store just across the street. So we decided | | | | our shopping style (as we had attempted) to |
| to shop carefully and only buy those items | | | | fit the wholesale warehouse club retail |
| that were cheaper. Of course, we also ended | | | | format if it turns out to not work for us. It |
| up buying in quantities that we didn't need. | | | | may make sense for yours.We were at dinner |
| So, when we did find bargains, we ended up | | | | with some friends of ours when they told us |
| with a supply that would last us a couple | | | | about an online discount club with a huge |
| years.After adjusting our shopping strategy | | | | variety of products and a very modest |
| at the warehouse club to take into account | | | | membership fee. I was expecting more |
| our need to be aware of the higher prices and | | | | caseloads of cheese snacks and a hundred |
| inconvenient packagaging, we realized another | | | | dollar membership fee - but that's not what |
| thing. It's not convenient to stand in line | | | | they showed us.What we saw was a membership |
| with three items, when everyone else ahead of | | | | fee less than the local warehouse club, and |
| you has their carts overflowing with | | | | products that was need and use every month - |
| merchandise. It's clear that not everyone | | | | orderable online and delivered to our door - |
| cares about actual value and some folks only | | | | without putting shopping cart dents in our |
| want perceived value (you know, a case of | | | | car.We checked it out. We signed up. We tried |
| maple syrup at a 3 cent discount). So, we | | | | it out for several months. And every since |
| soon tired of standing in lines for our | | | | our shopping life gets easier.Now every month |
| handful of items.We decided that if we were | | | | I make my shopping list online through our |
| going to get only the best value items in the | | | | online membership. For the first thirty days |
| quantities that suited our lifestyle, that we | | | | of the month I build my online shopping list |
| would only need to make a few trips every | | | | whenever it's convenient for me, and shortly |
| couple of months so that we could get | | | | after the first of the next month we find |
| everything we wanted without spending all | | | | packages at our door. The next month it's the |
| that time standing in line several times per | | | | same.It's the opposite of the old bricks and |
| month. But guess what happened? We noticed | | | | mortar warehouse club - it takes me less time |
| that each time we'd go in for items on our | | | | to make it work for me. It works around my |
| list that the items sometimes wouldn't be | | | | shopping style, rather than forcing me to |
| carried anymore. We're not talking about | | | | change my lifestyle to find the right |
| items being out with an empty space on a | | | | bargains and most convenient time to go to |
| shelf. We're talking about something else is | | | | the store.Yes, I can still get a case of |
| placed where that item was and the store | | | | rolls of toilet paper and cheese snacks - but |
| employees telling us they don't carry it | | | | I never stand in line, I never have to lug my |
| right now, and that we should fill out a | | | | purchases through the parking lot in the rain |
| comment card if we want to get the items back | | | | or snow, and I never have to worry about |
| in stock.With items on our list not being in | | | | finding new door-dings on my car.The biggest |
| stock, we still found ourselves standing in | | | | benefit of membership in this club is |
| line with a handful of items - instead of the | | | | convenience. And with life being as busy as |
| cartful we'd planned on.It'sfrustrating | | | | it is for us - I have fallen in love with |
| enough realizing our membership wasn't buying | | | | having my shopping list only a few mouse |
| us much more a few well-packaged, well | | | | clicks away from completion. |
| discounted products - combined with long | | | | |