Costco selection getting pretty bad (1 Viewer)

I've noticed over the course of about a year now - maybe a little more - the selection of Blu-ray titles at my local Costco (Greenville, SC) is getting worse and worse. I went today, and other than the nature documentaries, they only had 10 titles on Blu-ray. Anyone else experiencing this? Am I right in thinking this is more of a regional thing, meaning that people in my area are simply not buying them?

^ My guess is that it's a regional thing. Based on what I read here at HTF, it seemed like most Costcos got The Twilight Zone Blu-rays but the two stores within about 75 miles of where I live (southeastern Pennsylvania) have never stocked them.

I've been to a couple of Costcos in my area over the past year and their selection hasn't changed much, nor has it ever been very good. They seem to carry the titles that are extremely family oriented (i.e. Pixar) or have been heavily discounted online (i.e. Walk the Line). Other than family fare, they seem to focus on the titles they can sell around the $10 to $15 pricing point or less, which would fit with their business model I suppose. Not many DVDs, either, interestingly.

Maybe when/if standard pricing on Blu ray reaches this level, you'll see a lot more. As of now, though, I can't see them competing heavily in the market. They seem to stock a lot of Blu ray players, though, which is interesting.

I'm sorry to say that my experience has been the same, and this has been bothering me for a good couple of years.

Going back three or four years, the aisle and table space allotted to DVDs and BLUs, especially during the holiday shopping seasons, was easily 3-4 times what it is now. Worse, though, is the abominable lack of selection now. Costco, of course, was never what you'd consider a music/movie store -- I'm not suggesting that -- and of course the reduction in stock and selection follows that of every other major brick & mortar retailer. But they nevertheless managed to have a very nice, varied selection in those years.

One benchmark for me was when the last Walt Disney Treasures ("Zorro") was scheduled to hit the streets. In the previous few years I'd been able to score each wave at Costco for $22.99 (or thereabouts) per tin, and after the "Dr. Syn" debacle I was prepared to buy on the first day. I checked with the manager the night before, he pulled it up on the computer, and the DVDs were listed, but with a "NO SELL" flag. He claimed not to know for sure what that meant, but told me to check back next day. Sure enough, nothing. This was what, November of 2008 or 2009? It was around that time that the newly reduced display area and reduced selection had only recently been implemented.

To be sure, there have been a few bright moments since that time, and I won't bore anyone with further details of items scored by showing up at just the right time. Holiday seasons are definitely "somewhat" better than the rest of year (though it seemed like they waited till really late this past season to put the stuff out), but nothing like what I and others in this area remember. Now the norm is, say, three zillion copies (or cardboard placeholders) of the latest couple of Blu-ray blockbusters, and 10 or 12 other bland titles. The DVD section mostly shines, for me, when they put out some of the catalog items I still need at their price, and now and then, complete series sets like The Three Stooges and Abbott & Costello which I can sweep in and grab like a vulture.

During this current "Biblical Epic" season, they had some of the old DVD titles and I think the basic "Ten Commandments" sets, but no box sets, no "King of Kings" and other items I was on the lookout for. I have no idea what they're thinking. I tend to think I have to be one of my local store's better DVD & BLU customers, so it's really a shame they don't come to me and ask what I'd like them to bring in on the next truck.

Yes, it's extremely family-oriented, which seems to seriously edge out a lot of potential diversity of selection. When space is at such a restriction, the family-oriented material is going to win hands down in situations like this.

Re Twilight Zone, we had them and I felt very fortunate to be able to grab all three seasons.

Which reminds me, they have Mad Men season 4 in DVD only, no Blu-ray. I don't remember for sure if that happened with the prior seasons, but I think they'd carried both formats in the past. That was weird.

Oh, and one more thing! (Sorry, you got me going.)

I forget which title this is, but what they recently put out a zillion of for the Blu-ray was just the SLIPCOVER -- not even those cardboard thingies to take to the checkout lines. So, you had these loose, lighter-than-air slipcovers flying all over the place, scattered in the aisle, etc., to which I can only say: What the FUCK?

And, if you notice, they also took the MOVIES category off the directory in their Costco website, so they are completely de-emphasizing DVDs and BDs. Ironically, Best Buy has suddenly gotten better for BDs.

Originally Posted by Chas in CT
Re Twilight Zone, we had them and I felt very fortunate to be able to grab all three seasons.

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I'm either the eternal optimist or just a sucker but I'm still hoping that the Costcos near me will start stocking The Twilight Zone when Season Four comes out in May.

Originally Posted by Chas in CT
Holiday seasons are definitely "somewhat" better than the rest of year (though it seemed like they waited till really late this past season to put the stuff out), but nothing like what I and others in this area remember.

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Yes, this happened at ours as well this past Christmas. We went a few time during the season for gifts, and it wasn't until very late, maybe a week before, that they suddenly had a huge selection. Then, by New Years, it was gone.

Honestly, it's not a huge deal that they've stopped carrying such a selection, but it was nice to be able to pick up a title I had been looking for $10 while I'm shopping for other things. Guess I'm back to getting my Blu-'s from Amazon.

Originally Posted by Hollywoodaholic
And, if you notice, they also took the MOVIES category off the directory in their Costco website, so they are completely de-emphasizing DVDs and BDs. Ironically, Best Buy has suddenly gotten better for BDs.

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Maybe they're just one of the retailers who figure that everyone's downloading everything these days, so they don't want to take up their precious floor space away from $24.99 Levi's, cheap California wine and such.

But you are right about Best Buy getting a little better these days. My two local BBs now are about 40% blu vs. 60% standard def dvds. And they're promoting blu a lot more with in-store display kiosks and lots of sales. And the blus are gettin' a little cheaper too! Ethan loves it...

My experience too has been that their movie section has shrunk greatly over the last couple of years. Back in the day I got a boatload of my dvd boxsets, tv series and first blu rays at Costco. They pretty much carry nothing now. And I'm talking about 3 major Los Angeles area stores. Sad.

The only good DVD purchase I've made at Costco in the last, I dunno, six months was the Adventures Of Brisco County set for a very nice $15. Other than that, their selection has shrunk down to virtually nothing, DVD and Blu.

Originally Posted by Ethan Riley
But you are right about Best Buy getting a little better these days.... And the blus are gettin' a little cheaper too!

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Dang. I hate BB, but it looks like if I want to get something quick, they're the ones to go to. Although, there is a local music store that has an incredible selection of Criterion Collection titles, which is nice, but they're also usually $5 to $10 more expensive than getting them on Amazon.

My guess is that it's a regional thing. Based on what I read here at HTF, it seemed like most Costcos got The Twilight Zone Blu-rays but the two stores within about 75 miles of where I live (southeastern Pennsylvania) have never stocked them.

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Odd, Costco was my main account at a company I worked at a few years back. PA, and where I live, CT are both in the same region (unless things changes in the last few years) and mine stocked the Twilight Zone

^ I was thinking that maybe the one closest to me was an anamoly and so I went to the only other Costco in reasonable driving distance (30 miles away) and they didn't have it either.

No Twilight Zone BDs in FL Costcos, either. But I'm waiting for the complete series set later this year, so maybe they'll have that prize around the Holidays.

I think I saw at least one Twilight Zone BD set at the Lantana Costco recently.

The actual shelf space devoted to movies at my local Costco has remained about the same, but the selection has narrowed a bit -- there's just more of fewer different titles.

Best Buy, on the other hand, has slightly reduced the overall size of the movie section, but it's about 2/3 - 3/4 Blu now, and they seem to have at least a few good deals on 'em every week -- if not on new releases, then on catalog titles. When I went there to pick up the nearly free(!) Incredibles and Cars, they had a bunch of catalog BDs for $9.99 that came with $10 vouchers toward movie tickets to see Paul and/ or Your Highness.

Really? You go to Costco to buy your blu-rays?




Outside of On-Line sites like Amazon, there really aren't many stores that even sell video product anymore.

There is Best Buy (and they are expensive) Plus tax
Some Barnes and Nobles stores have video sections (not all)
Of course Target and Walmart carry the top selling films only.

Where would you buy a Criterion Blu-ray? Not at Walmart or Target (selection is small), possible at Best Buy, but really if your want a blu-ray you have to buy On-Line
And I live in Los Angeles (gone are the video stores: Tower, Virgin, Suncoast, etc) We have one Ameoba (but that's a trip for me plus sitting in trafiic) and Fry's (I do not buy from Fry's because of their return policy and much of the product is questionable/repackaged and also they don't carry everything)

I only buy from Costco when the price is right on something I want, like $50 for the Alien Anthology.

Originally Posted by GMpasqua

Where would you buy a Criterion Blu-ray?

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I was at Best Buy yesterday, and they actually had a pretty big selection of Criterion Blu-ray discs. I was quite surprised.