5 Holiday Gifts That You Should Not Buy At Costco – The Motley Fool



[ad_1]

Costco (NASDAQ: COST) offers low prices for its members throughout the year. However, during the holiday season, the Warehouse Club is really speeding things up: some offers start in mid-November, additional sales start digitally at Thanksgiving, followed by new discounts on Black Friday.

The prices will be good for many items, but you will still have to be careful when shopping in the club-warehouse required of the members. Not all offers are as good as it looks and there are some items you should buy elsewhere.

These may not be the only Costco shopping pitfalls to appear this holiday season, but they are probably the biggest ones. Follow the warnings and you will have a better chance to please everyone on your shopping list.

A person goes shopping in a warehouse.

Costco offers many interesting offers, but you should be wary of some of them. Source of the image: Getty Images.

1. Avoid clothes

The selection of goods changes regularly at Costco. This means that the shirt or pants that you buy as a gift may not be in stock for an exchange if the person for whom you bought it does not like it or needs it. a different size. The clothes can still be returned, but do you really want to buy a sweater and someone to exchange for bulk grain or something else that does not really match the spirit of your gift?

2. Be very careful with TVs

Costco usually has good prices, but it's usually not the cheapest to land a contract on a TV. There are exceptions, but be sure to prepare your features and familiarize yourself with the price range of TVs that come with these options. When buying, make sure the model you are considering does not have a slightly different model number with missing features.

3. Pass on this mattress

Although the club-warehouse sells mattresses, it usually piles them up vertically rather than preparing them for testing. It is not a good idea to buy a mattress that you have not tried. Even if it's for a guest room, it's better to buy a bed in a traditional mattress store, where you can lie down before making your choice (and the prices are very low for some of these mattress chains right now).

4. Pay attention to the purchase of jewelry

Costco offers a limited selection of jewelry, which means that you should only buy it as a gift if the recipient has approved the purchase. This can remove the element of surprise, but it prevents you from buying gifts only so that the people to whom you give them do not like them and then have trouble finding something for which they want to exchange it.

5. The giant teddy bear (and other novelties)

During the holiday season, Costco often offers really stupid items like giant teddy bears. It may sound like a nice gift for a kid, but honestly: who has room for a five-foot stuffed animal (and who wants one)?

In general, think twice before buying anything that comes out of the ordinary. Determine if the gift will be appreciated or it will simply be a good story after it's opened.

Use common sense

Warehouse clubs can lead people to make stupid purchases because prices are low at any time of the year. Buying a cheap kayak is a great idea if you live near the water and will actually go kayaking. It's a bad idea if it becomes something that is in your garage.

Do not shop just because there is a good deal – make sure these are things that you or someone on your gift list really needs.

[ad_2]
Source link