Why Costco should leave New Zealand
I’m supposed to be working on a piece for a paid freelance writing job right now, but instead I am no longer ignoring the icky Costco sized feeling growing in my stomach or leaving the “what do you think of Costco coming to New Zealand?” messages in my DMs unanswered.
In case you need reminding (like I did) Costco is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores (kinda like Gilmours). On Wednesday Costco opened its 829th store here, in New Zealand.
I’m not generally a teeth grinder, but watching the videos of thousands of people camping out overnight and waiting for hours in line to shop at one of the largest retailers in the world, made me grind my teeth. I felt viscerally ill. But why?
I immediately called myself out for privilege. I’m privileged to buy groceries each week without adding up the tally as I go and I happily prioritise paying a little extra for organic and sustainably sourced foods. Not everyone has the time and capacity to venture to the farmers markets on Sunday mornings or buy their curry pastes from a lovely local family like I do. I have the freedom of time and money that some others do not have.
Word on the street is that Costco is price competitive and offers customers huge savings which will be helpful for so many, particularly as the cost of living goes up.
But this self awareness and acknowledgement of my privilege isn’t enough for me to walk away. It feels wrong to look at what’s happening at the new Costco and be okay with it.
Here are three reasons why I disagree with Costco coming to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Consumption hysteria is harming our mental health and our planet
Newshub’s recent article summarising the launch of this beast began with “it's safe to say the arrival of the retail giant prompted hysteria similar to that evoked by boy bands and teen heartthrobs.” The videos that swept through social media and national news after Wednesday’s launch showed this statement is absolutely true. I’m not at all surprised but still gutted to hear it.
We see the same outrageous (I was going to use the word ‘disgusting’, but I will refrain) behaviour happen during Black Friday Sales. You know, the annual fourth Friday in November when most stores around the world have sales and shoppers lose their minds to the point of harming each other as they fight for items they don’t need.
Marketing, especially from giants like Costco, tells us what we ‘need’ and ‘deserve’. Our basic needs can be met, but we’ll still want something more because marketing is sneaky and plays on our subconscious. I know this, because I am a consumer too. I know the thrilling rush of turning your hard earned money into something tangible and I experience the pull to consume something to make my life better or my position in society appear higher. But having intentionally pulled myself away from over-consumption through challenges like the Minimalist Challenge and Wardrobe Freeze, I’ve also experienced the utter freedom of releasing yourself from retailers' manipulation. Costco coming to Aotearoa New Zealand reduces the chances of other people experiencing this bliss.
Moving on from people to planet, we must remember this earth has finite resources that are quickly depleting. Every item you see in a store is made from something, hands were employed (and often exploited) to create it, and most of the time the item is packaged in a material that the consumer doesn’t require so they put it on the side of the road in a bin or a bag for someone else to take to a hole in the ground and cover it up where it will exist essentially forever.
I’m a huge advocate for sticking to your own lane and ignoring the temptation of a curious peer into someone else’s trolley, but you only need to look at the items lining Costco’s shelves to see that they’re not being good samaritans offering Auckland cheaper necessities. Their aisles are littered with pointless crap that will find its way into shopper’s junk cupboards in three, two, one… some of it is already in there.
Small, local businesses are struggling
Every week I hear of another small business closing down. COVID has hurt all of us in many ways, but for small business owners, it’s literally broken them. Again, I realise it’s often a privilege to support local businesses and purchase products made with more care and sustainable values, but the majority of people who can afford to prioritise their money to support local businesses, don’t.
Sure, competitive prices and sales can be the only way some families can afford particular foods and products, but I’m not talking about those people. I’m talking about the people who were in the Costco lines with zero idea of what they needed and full intent of spending money on whatever took their fancy - or whatever everyone else was buying.
Small producers cannot fathom competing with the likes of Costco and other massive stores, so I realise Costco’s arrival doesn’t necessarily add a competitor to their market. Yet the culture around Costco and the hysteria that will continue to ensue seems like a slap in the face for businesses who’ve been doing the long hard slog while Costco’s financial reports say they experienced a 20.7% increase in 2021 compared to 2020 with revenues of $1.2 billion.
Costco does not care about sustainability or change
I will be the first person to praise a large retailer for making positive changes towards sustainability, but Costco seemingly do not give a flying fig. In April this year Costco announced their goal to be carbon neutral by 2060; 10 years behind the majority of other organisation’s targets. I don’t know enough about their supply chain and waste management systems to make further comments, but I do know they are trying hard to at least appear as if they’re on the right track through their sustainability reports.
I could go on and explain how a lot of the food at Costco isn’t actually food (it won’t nourish your body), how much I hate the single use serveware at the foodcourt, or how frustrated I am by the media spurring the hysteria on. But I’ll stop there and go mend my old shoes instead.
If you’re going to Costco, go with a list of things you need. Set a budget. Take advantage of buying in bulk (which can often reduce the overall waste) and only go if you must. If you have the capacity to shop local, head to your local farmer’s markets, support Kiwi owned businesses, and ask yourself “do I really need this?”
If you are going to put your money somewhere, put it back into the pockets of local people instead of an internationally owned juggernaut.
And as my husband said after reading him this piece before hitting publish, “Costco? How about Cost-No.”
P.S. Shop my ethical Directory to find epic sustainable businesses to support, many of them based in Aotearoa New Zealand.
