Austen Macalus|SCTimes
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As the new St. Cloud Costco store sets to open its doors Saturday, there’s palpable excitement about the wholesale retailer making Central Minnesota its 11th state location.
Costco’s pop-up tents are scattered across the city. Enthusiastic workers twirl signs on street corners day-in and day-out. And eager customers have been chattering about the new store’s discounts, deals and bulk products, with many signing up for a year-long membership in advance of opening day.
All the while, Costco employees are working to put the final touches on its 160,000 square footmegastore on Second Street South and 33rd Avenue.
“It’s just really exciting to be opening a store from the ground-up” said Katie Elder, the store’s general manager.
The store, which started receiving stockthe first week of June, is quickly filling up with big screen TVs, summer patio furniture and boxes upon boxes of products. The ceiling-high shelves are already packed with thingslike family-sized cereal, enormous bundles of paper towels and huge jugs of olive oil— much still in protective plastic wrapping.
On a tour around the grounds last week, Elder said the St. Cloud store is “newer, bigger, better” — even by Costco standards.
She cited a litany of numbers as proof: 750 parking spots, 600 shopping carts, 50 flatbeds and more than 5,000 trees and plants on thelot.
Costco management sees the St. Cloud location as a “destination store” that will attract customers from across the region; Elder said she expects people to come from far as Alexandria.
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The store is a welcome addition for Costco customers, many who routinely make an hour trip toBaxter or the Twin Cities, Elder said.
“Everyone is just super excited,” she said. “They can’t wait for us to be open.”
A long time coming
Mayor DaveKleis has said that residents used to ask him nearly every week, 'When are we getting a Costco?'"
They now have to wait only a week longer, an opening that’s been in the works for almost two years.
Kleis announced plans to build a new Costo in December 2017 as part of the redevelopment of a section of Heritage Park.
However, the process has come with controversy. After the City Council approved selling about 19 acres of the park for $3.53 million, an anonymous group sued the city, claiming officials sold the land for less than market value. The city denied the allegations and asked the court to dismiss the complaint. Costco joined the ongoing lawsuit in March.
Last Friday, many shoppers in the Walmart parking lot across fromCostco expressed support for the new store.
Treifi Walid, 42, of St. Cloud, said her spouse is a huge Costco fan and will probably get a membership.
“He can't wait,” she said. “My husband says to me it has everything and you can find anything.”
Donna Walberg, 67, also shared that view, with a minor caveat. “I’m excited that’s its opening,” she said. “I’m not excited that it took the woods to build there, but that’s done”
Farhio Abdullahi, 40, of St. Cloud, said she’s heard a lot about Costco’s discounts and deals. “All of my friends have memberships,” she said.
Lisa Ruchti, a shopper at Corborns, said she plans to get a Costco membership and compare it to Sam’s Club to see which store is better.
“But I’ve heard good things about [Costco],” the 51-year-old added.
A ‘crazy’ opening day
When Costco’s doors open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Elder expects it will be busy. Very busy.
“It’s just going to be crazy,” the general manager said. She’ll be at the store from open to close to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Elder said the store expects 500 to 1,000 membership sign-ups on opening day alone. That’s on top of thousands who already have a membership.
The store is encouraging members to sign up early at Costco's temporary office at 266-33rd Ave. Sor by stopping by the pop-up tents — an effort to avoid major back-ups.
That won’t be a problem for Eric Macht, 40, an apparent Costco die-hard.
Macht signed up for a membership at a tent in Sartell, but went all the way to Baxter to get his official membership card.
Previous coverage: Has the city kept all of its Costco sale promises?
Like many other customers, he's excited for Costco's own Kirkland Signature brand.
But Macht alsopraisedthe store for bringing more jobs to the area, as well as their treatment of employees.Costco routinelyranks among the best companies to work for.
Macht said he plans to be at the storeon day one: “It’s going to be the biggest opening in St. Cloud history”
Donna Burman, 73, is also a Costco fan. She’s been a member for about a decade, making routine trips down to the Maple Grove store.
But unlike other customers, Burman is planning on skipping out opening day.
“It’s going to be a circus,” she said. I’ll make one more trip to Maple Grove.”
What you should know:
After opening day, Costco's warehouses hours will be 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. The liquor store will mirror the warehouse's hours except for Sundays, when it will be open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. following state liquor laws. The gas station will be open 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
