Sure those are just generics. Take the same manufacturing and modify the process as needed for consistency and value. But those generics can also be bought at regular grocery stores without paying a $100 entry fee.
I am referring more to the upsell items, clothing, books, furniture, electronics. Those items are often sourced to be modified in a way that gives better profit margins while still appearing as a better deal than buying the name brand elsewhere. But it comes at a cost of lower quality on those items but because of their infinite return policy it's often ignored.
It's not an end of the world type thing but it contributes to waste for perceived value. I understand that people love Costco and that I'm going to not be looked at lovingly for calling it out but it's an issue I see and wish to point out when possible.
No, yes but no. I mean, and even said, name brand items like blenders with slightly smaller or cheaper bowls, lower quality metal, name brand clothes at Costco are similar to Ross in that they are made saying it the same product but are cheaper stitching and material.
I know what generic products are I am speaking towards the ones they offer as premium at a discount are discounted because of less premium parts from the brand name.
Why would I be against generics?
Edit as a further example because I guess I wasn't understood. Q-tip brand q-tips have been called out for their Costco ones being flimsier or having less spun cotton on the tips than their products at other stores. Because it helps profit them a little more money when it's sold at a lower price. Quality is not consistent because of its market share.
Yeah, Costco is a a store for the upper middle class suburban family type. That was basically always their bread and butter as those are people with the space and need for constant shopping that can be sold some faux premium items alongside some real ones as a one stop solution.
Did you know Name Brands will make specific Costco versions that are meant to mimic the expected item but be slightly modified to use cheaper parts or less material.
Edit for clarity: q-tips with less tip, Vitamix sold as same model but less parts or features, Lucky brand jeans using cheaper material, name brand sponges being thinner, name brand pads being less absorbent, all sold with the same name and branding as their non bulk counterpart but using less material to make them often inferior for price to value.
There are so few things that are better or cheaper to buy in the bulk at Costco to get your money's worth of the yearly fee and that is the point. They make a profit.
It just doesn't make much sense to shop at Costco if you are actually on a budget or don't have the space.
Oof... But haven't you heard? He's free of having to listen to any criticism now because something something leftists, something something never was.
Ugh I can't believe he went all Fetterman on us.
Not one person in this world is rational or sane. It would take a sane world to create a sane person and we just can't help but pass on our issues even at our best attempts.
When people are acting foolish and know it at least they know. That means they can recognize it and change if they currently aren't. It's when they don't recognize it at all that we must be wary of their intentions.
I made a comment recently going through the list of the campaign advisors for Harris which included;
mostly C-suite executives, advisors for the richest peoples trust funds and literally a representative from New Orleans who had to step down after it was discovered he was the top recipient for bribes from the oil industry but is still apparently a great choice for directly advising the DNC.
It's not just one person it's the whole of the DNC that's like this. They bow to decorum while underhandedly stuffing their pockets with cash just like the Republicans. They just want it to look professional while they do it.
They need to give a shit about others and the average citizen not just see this as their rightful place to make money because they deserve it for being better connected. That's why we are in this mess.
The DNC instead of just commenting about how Trump has failed to reach his goals (which should be pushed on as often as reasonable) should be united in making plans of action and stating what they would do with the power of the government when/if its given back to them by the people.
We are seeing that we have given an insane amount of power to certain offices and that by avoiding "decorum" it can be wielded to change things or at least start a very public conversation on them.
We will be worn out by everything being a slam and call-out but this is a great time to start announcing their plans as a party to what they would be doing same as project 2025 was. The power shown by Trump is out of the box. It can not be put back in.
The DNC exists outside of just criticizing Trump. They need to show why they deserve this power too.
Hillary's campaign advisors who Harris was more than happy enough to bring on. These are people like:
Her brother-in-law West, the CLO of Uber who told Harris to stop attacking big business.
Plouffe the senior vice president of Uber and advisor to Zuckerberg and Clinton
O'Malley Dillon, who was, (oh hey look at that) an advisor for, Gates, Zuckerberg, Lyft, & GE, and was the first non family member of Biden to serve in his campaign as well as Clinton's
Richmond who had to resign from his position in 2021 after it was found out he was the top receiver of bribes from the oil industry in the DNC
Jeffrey Katzenberg, who apparently is known as the kingmaker of of the DNC for how much money he throws in which... What the fuck are you doing Katz, go back to making Quibi a thing.
It's all of them and it's purposeful. They apparently wrote 129 page documentals weekly about how Harris had already won while these advisors take pay in fractions of millions of dollars.
They pay themselves to talk to themselves to pat themselves on the back for having done nothing to change anything.
Then they can say that now, then.
Say what plans they would take and push for them instead of waiting it out.
Let us know what they would do with power to make things better and hammer it that with power they would be fixing things and show they are being stopped.
Because we forgot optimization in a world that celebrates maximalists and constant upgrades to feed shopping addictions that make people feel more in control of their space in a world with less and less opportunities for self determination.
When I remember I was the cool kid for having a 4GB flash drive that could fit all of my call of duty game and homework and I look at the 560GB games now that aren't even as fun to play I think we have made some mistakes along the way that instead of prioritizing the experience of life we prioritize the ease of it.
Mine was my SOs grandmother's Pentium PC from like 2003 until something just stopped in it. Like can't even tell what is wrong with it cause it's just inconsistently down and then back up.
So now it's a small PC I got from eBay that came with like a free monitor and keyboard and stuff for like $60
They are in a depression spiral and seeking negative validation from others to confirm their own self image. I've had pretty bad depression before and this is just that without any self coping mechanisms so it's straight up negativity to anyone that interacts right now. They want to be the worst so through illusion of their imagination all the worst has already happened.
We are best not engaging. Though you may continue if you want and have the emotional strength to continue on with them.
Your actions you promote taking care only possible by those who own houses and have the means and funds to cover the replacements.
I understand you will say the wildflowers is basically free but it takes time that you have a privilege of having.
If that's where you set the positive actions that people can take most will not be able to achieve them and view you poorly for bragging about it.
LOL, we live in a society that celebrates never maturing and the goal of every post since these types were on reddit, is to say something witty that continues to confirm to the zeitgeist and not push against anything.
I don't expect any better from them even though I would certainly like to.
Yeah there is no point in eating, you will just shit it out later so best to not bother at all.