Costco Black Friday

Lodi Costco opens

June 10--The doors are wide open. Costco customers grab carts and start streaming into the new Lodi store.

On the left are gleaming 55-inch 3D-capable TVs, and employees waiting to develop film in one hour. On the right are neatly folded jeans and workers handing out fliers with coupons.

One customer stares at 30 rotisserie chickens spinning in the Inferno 3500 and while another stops to pick up a loaf of bread. A nearby employee describes a free sample as "good as a breakfast item or by itself."

Customers found a clean, shiny, large store on Thursday that they say will be an improvement over driving to Stockton.

Costco sells most items in bulk quantities, and is located at Harney Lane and Highway 99 in the Reynolds Ranch Shopping Center.

The wholesale retailer has displays with everything from the lavishly expensive to the bulk bargain. At a jewelry counter, there is a $165 necklace featured and an ad for a $57,999 necklace available online. There is the ultimate barbecue grill with a price tag of $1,600 next to a typical backyard charcoal grill that costs $85.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, warehouse manager Denise Zizzo said 6,700 people had walked through the store on the first day or during the preview opening Wednesday.

"The biggest thing we've heard is, everyone is happy we are here. They love the store. They think it's nothing but beautiful," Zizzo said.

The store hired 180 employees, and about 70 to 80 percent are from the surrounding area, she said. A majority of the in-store transfers were Lodi residents who wanted to work closer to home.

During the ribbon-cutting on Thursday, Mayor Bob Johnson said he is excited that Lodi residents will have a new store. He said it has already increased the city's property tax.

"As soon as you people go in and fill up your carts, then our sales tax revenue will go up," he said to the waiting crowd.

Lodi resident Tammy Delemos stood outside listening to the speeches. She recently retired from Staples and was excited to attend her first grand opening. She mainly wanted to get meat and alcohol for upcoming parties.

"We're real excited. We want to support the community. ... This is like Black Friday in June," Delemos said.

While weaving through the aisles, customers can almost get a full meal while choosing from more than a dozen samples, including pork loin, sausage, chicken salad, spinach dip, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, lemon bars and creme brulee.

Costco Black Friday Sneak Peek

About Clippergirl Hi! I’m Barbara, otherwise known as ClipperGirl. I work full time outside the home and am mom to 7 furbabies.

I began using coupons in earnest in the January, 2007. Within 6 months I was addicted and was scouring stores for every deal. Eventually, my friends wanted to know how I was saving so much money so I started a blog in order to share the deals and my savings with them. . . . . .and that is where ClipperGirl’s Saving Spot was born.

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