Costco primed for February opening

Costco Wholesale is heading toward a Feb. 8 opening of its new location in front of Tampa Premium Outlets, off State Road 56 in Lutz.

But, motorists can expect to fill up their vehicles at Costco gas pumps as early as Jan. 11.

Applications to the membership-only warehouse giant will be available on Jan. 10. Eighty to 90 positions are expected to be filled in coming weeks, according to Rosina Yeo, the general manager for the new merchandise warehouse, at 2225 Grand Cypress Drive.

While those are the expected dates, they are tentative depending on construction, Yeo said, but she noted work on the 186,000 square-foot warehouse is in its final stages.

Landscaping will begin soon, and the parking lot is expected to be finished within the next two weeks, she said.

Yeo transferred from a Jacksonville Costco where she was assistant general manager. She worked for about two months at the Costco Wholesale in Brandon while waiting to relocate to the new store.

Yeo said shoppers in Brandon frequently asked about the opening date for the new store, and about jobs.

About 200 jobs will be filled in total, Yeo said, with about half from company-wide transfers and half from new hires.

Applications can be made online at Costco.com by clicking on the link for employment. Site visitors can type in their zip code to find details on available jobs and how to apply.

The first warehouse site with the Costco name opened in Seattle in 1983. The company later merged with Price Club, which had gotten its start in 1976 in San Diego.

The warehouse giant sells an eclectic mix of merchandise, including wine, clothes, gas, jewelry, electronics, tires, glasses, hearing aids, vacation packages, cars, home improvement services, hardware and pharmaceuticals.

Costco’s operating philosophy is to price low and sell in very high volumes. Shoppers also expect many items to rotate out weekly, giving them what Costco calls a “treasure hunt” experience for surprising and unexpected products showing up on store shelves.

 

Published December 14, 2016