Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/29
By: Chen Cheng-wei and Frances Huang
Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) Costco, an American membership-only wholesale club, said on Thursday that it plans to offer discounts to members at the opening of its new store in New Taipei’s Xinzhuang District instead of free breakfast and gifts as it did in the past.
This will be the first time Costco has not offered free breakfast and gifts at the opening of a new outlet in Taiwan. The decision is intended to prevent a traffic jam in the vicinity of the new Xinzhuang store when it opens on Jan. 7.
In April, the wholesale operator opened a store in the Taipei suburb of Beitou, the 12th outlet for Costco in Taiwan and the fourth in Taipei and New Taipei. Its offering of free breakfast and gifts attracted a great number of members who lined up before the store opened, causing serious traffic congestion , which prompted police to impose traffic controls.
Chao Chien-hua (趙建華), an executive at Costco Taiwan, said that the Xinzhuang store will provide exclusive incentives to members who shop there on the opening day, including up to 50 percent off selected products, such as U.K. made detergent, scallops from Hokkaido and food supplements. [FULL STORY]