Costco hysteria shows how insane consumerism is

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
37
1038

Hardcore fans queue overnight as retail giant Costco opens door in Auckland for first time

The ribbon has been cut and the first customers have been let through the door at Auckland’s brand new Costco store an hour before the scheduled opening.

It comes after a group of hardcore fans spent the night camping outside the US megastore in Westgate.

The store was meant to officially open at 8am, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at 7:30am, but the shop opened its doors an hour early.

I am always fascinated by the kind of human being who would camp outside a shop because their addiction to consumerism is so embedded into their sense of identity.

Like slaves worshipping the whip.

At a time when capitalist consumerism is eating the very biosphere, we open a new tentacle of American corporate power because our own supermarket duopoly is so exploitative.

I don’t want Costco or any other corporate consumer behemoth coming here.

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Kick them all out!

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37 COMMENTS

    • Cheers ‘Gus’. Know anything about lobbying then do ya? How much did pack N starve pay you? You trot off and ask your wee hair tugger mate Jonky to repeal the absurd constraints placed on farmers trading directly to the public and we’ll believe you and your promotion of foodstuffs : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodstuffs_(company)
      In a similar vein.
      Russell Brand / Youtube.
      A new report reveals that 20% of Congress trade shares in the industries they’re supposed to be overseeing AND Democrats are trying to delay a ban on insider trading. Still, the pandemic is “over” and Putin is threatening nuclear Armageddon – so nothing to see here!
      https://youtu.be/-vZM3m_om9Y
      And just let me pop in this latest from Russell Brand. Seriously, is pretty good.
      Youtube:
      The fine art of lobbying cheap scum politicians. It’s U$A-centric but is the same-same thing.
      “A new report reveals that 20% of Congress trade shares in the industries they’re supposed to be overseeing AND Democrats are trying to delay a ban on insider trading. Still, the pandemic is “over” and Putin is threatening nuclear Armageddon – so nothing to see here! ”
      https://youtu.be/-vZM3m_om9Y

  2. the queuing thing is about ‘oh I might get a bargain’ which you won’t, you might be able to grab a ‘loss leader’ but that’s it….costco is a big box store not a grocer and probably won’t affect the duopoly long term unless they open in other centres.

  3. I love it, judge the Americans when everyday kiwis like Foodstuff are absolutely raking it in. Look at Air NZ. Thats government owed and, especially pre pandemic, charges domestically like you are on a private jet. Look at Fonterra. Yes, yes, go on about the milk powder exports but let’s face it the tax payer will be picking up plenty of the tab when it comes to the true cost of all those cows.

    • just because WE LIKE being raped and pillaged by NZ business that doesn’t mean costco is purer than the the driven snow…does it wheel?

  4. It’s basically Toops, which operated here in Taranaki until about 5 or 6 years ago. You had to have a membership card to shop there, and you were able to buy at wholesale prices.

    It really is much ado about nothing.

  5. People are bored ot of their minds, their towns are shells of their former selfs, they have no where to go and nothing to do. Go stand in a queue and meet some people seems like a good form of entertainment.

    • Pretty much right. Can’t afford a $50 concert ticket, then go and join a group of excited people with a rush of adrenalin and see how much you can buy out of your $20 spare (after $5 on bus tickets there and back), Malls and mass retail stores are great public places where you feel like an important citizen mixing with others on an equal level, nicer surroundings and warmer or cooler than home (hover round the cool chests and frozen foods in summer).

      There was a huge rush for that scam of dropping $5 notes to the waiting crowd by some business pr person. People who are always scratching to afford needs, and have to find some doings to provide for whatever addiction keeps them buoyant, get a kick out of special promotions, and who wouldn’t in their shoes, or flip flops. As the saying goes, ‘You have to be in to win’ so while they are still trying to keep up they are open to getting with ‘it’.

    • Now Andrew That’s not a rational point about Lotto tickets. Not sad. Poor people buy Lotto tickets as a sign of hope and a desire to be there if there is an opportunity to better themselves – ‘You’ve gotta be in to win’. It’s actually a good sign – that they haven’t given up in a cruel world. And they appreciate that it is run well and also that it supports good causes*. So for people who are always having to deny themselves something anyway, it is worth having a Scratchie or Powerball in hope – which lifts the spirit.

      *100% of Lotto NZ profits goes back to the community
      https://mylotto.co.nz › community-funding
      100% of Lotto NZ’s profits support 3000 good causes every year. Find out how every time you play a Lotto NZ game, you’re helping other Kiwis.

        • Thanks Bert I usually appreciate your perspective too. Perhaps you could give a little more with your ones with a why or perhaps.
          There often is little meat in the stale bread on offer and we need sustenance to keep the power lifting going eh.

          • Greywarbler,
            Despite those without a social conscience telling you everyone has the same opportunities in life, common sense tells us otherwise. Not everyone is born equal. Our environmental upbringing is the most important pathway in life. We are not all born with the same cognitive brain functioning and many are raised in an environment of trauma affecting many of their life/work choices(psychosocial trauma). When these people hit rock bottom they rely on, as you said, hope. Hope is what keeps them alive. Recently I worked with a young man who had attempted to hang himself. His comment that ” life is shit and there is no point in living” comes off the back of wanting a normal life without his mental illness, a life without medication and supported by utilizing cannabis for healing and numbing purposes(his way of relieving life’s barriers). A young man who is only supported by his nan after his paternal family disassociated themselves from him because of his illness and subsequent behaviors associated.
            This man is “poor” in many senses of the word. He makes poor choices because he is financially poor and now his addiction interferes with logical choices, “do I choose food or cannabis?”
            He wouldn’t even know or care about Costcos.
            His hope is to one day be free of a life that has tormented him for too long. Money can’t buy that but with hope and support there is a possibility he can live the world he desires. This is but one example of “we are not all made equal”.

            For every person that is financial enough to purchase bulk goods at Costcos there is one that isn’t.

            I have been fortunate enough in life to have had a nurtured upbringing, higher education and thus I made the decision to help those who weren’t so privileged.
            I will defend to the bitter end (with profanities if need be) those in need or those at least attempting to support those in need. That is not National and most certainly not ACT, history has proven that.

            • Hi Bert I could tell you know how it is. Let us know when you have time. We need to read about how people are getting on in NZ and what they are doing. I was drawn to Celia Lashlie – liked her style. Damn she’s dead RIP.

      • lotto is a tax on the poor that returns some money to favoured projects..you can say the same about 1 armed bandits*…it still preys on the poor, grey

        * pokies for kiwis but I think the british ‘1 armed bandit’ sums up their role and purpose better

        • Is lotto really a tax on the poor when sixty percent of the adult population play lotto at least once a year…. unless, may be the sixty percent are the poor? While most players see lotto as a game many see it as an investment because if youve only got $20 to invest and you can buy sweet f.a. with a twenty, you look for the investment with the biggest pay off no matter the risk.

        • Spoilsport. Lips tight and forbidding – you must not spend your money on fripperies, or enter a game of chance – no raffle tickets either. We will decide what is good for you. If you have food coupons you may not be allowed to buy chocolate biscuits (because they are not necessary for extending your miserable life.
          This actually happened in abut Jenny Shipley’s time. The middle class will guide you in all your pathetic decisions.)

        • I don’t lump a purchase like Lotto in with the addictive effect of having a lever or buttons and coloured pictures mesmerising you. They are all gambling but I’m not against everything – the pokies and bandits are more dangerous for mind-grabbing.

      • Do you own a lotto shop? There is more than enough evidence that gambling is a drain on society although lotto could be considered the best of a bad bunch. The chance of a significant win is not something any rational person would hold their breath for & there are many reasons to doubt that it is well run & supports good causes also.

  8. Commodity Fetishism has long been a thing–Karl Marx identified it in his writings.

    Certain NZers just love those Boxing Day Sales, and their Flybuys points–ask them about pay rates and days off in lieu for working a public holiday though, and many have no clue.

    Sad to see people queue for retail voluntarily, still maybe Costco has fermented Cabbage and big Wursts by the pallet load…

  9. How many low income people have the time, energy, ready cash and storage space/freezers to get to West Auckland and by basics in bulk? And why did NZ mainstream media, like Stuff, put so much effort and reporting space into promoting Costco?

  10. no tiger no saurkraut or bratwursts of any description but ALDI would, higher quality and cheaper…but hey ho guess that isn’t gonna happen.

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