Nothing in Moderation

“When it opened in 1984, the Costco on West Dimond Boulevard in Anchorage did not seem like the future of food. A glorified shed the color of stale coffee, the warehouse offered the sort of products and deals Alaskans go crazy for: mammoth quantities of staples like peanut butter and tomato sauce, along with local favorites such as caribou sausage. The state’s extreme environment and the need to travel hours or even days for groceries made it a hit right off the bat.” It turned out the concept worked pretty well across the country. NYT (Gift Article): How Costco Hacked the American Shopping Psyche. “Ostensibly, Costco is a discount store, a place to save money and stretch your grocery dollar, but it is also an aspirational shopping experience, feeding that most American of appetites: conspicuous consumption.”