By Laura Michell
It’s the store where you can buy everything from diamonds and coffins to fresh produce and just about everything in between – and it opens its doors in Epping on Wednesday.
Costco’s Deveny Road store will become its fourth warehouse to open in Victoria and just the second in the state to include a petrol station.
The 13,788 square-metre warehouse is like a treasure trove for shoppers, with Costco stocking a $170,000 platinum diamond pendant and a $24,0000 bottle of scotch for the store’s grand opening.
There are also giant plant pots and wine glasses, 1.7-kilogram avocados, cubby houses that will make your kids the envy of all their friends, and of course, Costco’s No.1 selling item – bulk toilet paper.
Costco Australia managing director Patrick Noone said the store stocked high-end and unique items, as well as everyday essentials.
“Our philosophy is to have the lowest mark-ups and sell as much as we can,” he said. “At Costco, it’s all about value.”
Mr Noone said the company chose Epping for its fourth Victorian store in a bid to capture the northern suburbs market, with stores already open in Moorabbin, Ringwood and Docklands.
He said several thousand new members had already signed up in anticipation of Wednesday’s opening.
“This is the next growth corridor of Melbourne,” he said.
“We have about 30,000 members in the area already.”
The Epping store features speciality departments including a bakery, optical department, tyre centre, hearing aid centre and a food court.
Mr Noone said the new store involved about 280 jobs, with 100 employees transferring from other Costco stores.
The store will open at 8am on Wednesday.
Details: costco.com.au
