WINNER OF THE BEN FRANKLIN AWARD FOR BEST COVER DESIGN (GOLD), BEST INTERIOR DESIGN (SILVER), AND BEST GIFT BOOK (SILVER) FROM THE INDEPENDENT BOOK PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION, 2024.
Join David & Susan Schwartz on a whirlwind tour of Costco warehouses around the globe. They are two of Costco's biggest fans, yet live in one of NYC's smallest apartments. Since 2016, they have been to over 250 of Costco's 850+ warehouses, plus gotten behind-the-scenes looks at depots, packaging facilities, vendors, meatpacking plants, and even a pre-opening party.
Travelling over 240,000 miles, they have visited at least one warehouse in 47 US states and 13 other countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Taiwan, and the UK. They celebrated the launch of this book with a Yonkers to Yorba Linda Costco Road Trip, stopping to visit their favorite retailer along the way.
Topics are covered in a whimsical A to Z format, using Q & A to cover topics ranging from Cashews and Chicken to Hot Dogs and Hawaii, targeted to delight the more than 128 million Costco members and over 300,000 dedicated Costco employees. There is a Prologue that describes how the authors came to write the book, and an introduction that provides a brief narrative history of Costco and its predecessor companies.
Sample Fun Facts:
Costco sells more than half of the world's cashews and seven times more hotdogs than all MLB stadiums combined.
When Costco changed its source of salmon from Chile to Norway it impacted the economies of both countries.
Costco sells six million pumpkin pies each year, but only between September and December.
About the Authors
David Schwartz is the author of several books, most recently “The Last Man Who Knew Everything: The Life and Times of Enrico Fermi, Father of the Nuclear Age,” (Basic Books, 2017). David spent much of his youth in San Francisco, where his parents were early members of Price Club, Costco’s predecessor.
Susan Schwartz worked in marketing at Nabisco and General Foods in the 1980s when mass merchandising was still considered an “alternate channel” of distribution. She grew up in Philadelphia where she delighted in shopping at Costco with her parents. Susan and David are proud grandparents and avid birdwatchers.
"For all of us that know the Costco experience is like no other, the Schwartzes have delivered a gift book like no other." - James Patterson, best-selling author
"Everyone can learn something useful from this account of a retailing success story that has swept the world. " - Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and Costco Board Member
"Even if you don't share the authors' somewhat peculiar enthusiasm for the retail wholesaler, even if you've never set foot in a Costco store, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more informative, concise, and pleasant crash course in foreign business practices…The book covers everything from foreign food courts, to pet services, to road trips, and ties it all together with a fun, cohesive style. It is a joy to behold…The Joy of Costco deserves a spot on your coffee table. Houseguests may initially scoff, but give them five minutes with the book and they probably won't want to give it back." – Seattle Book Review
"In the world of wine retail, few companies can compete with Costco Wholesale Corp. Costco has allowed millions of consumers to sample wines from around the world. In the The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z, David and Susan Schwartz provide an enlightening, entertaining and comprehensive view of the retail enterprise that knows no bounds. It’s a fun and great lesson on innovation." - Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator.
"When Schwartzes say they love the Costco experience, they mean it...the book is well-researched and delivers information in a fun, concise way. The layout and the presentation invite readers to browse or read straight through but the text goes beyond factoids to share great detail on subjects even the Costco faithful might never have thought of…This is a surprising, entertaining book on an everyday subject close to readers’ lives." – Publishers Weekly/Booklife
Some folks seek adventure climbing mountains; others go on safaris. The authors chose a slightly different path: travel to as many Costco warehouses around the world as they could manage, which amounted to more than 200 of the company’s some 850 current outlets. (Between 20 and 25 new warehouses open every year, so do not be surprised if there is a sequel!) How a couple who live in a 450-square-foot apartment came to love the Costco experience is only the starting point of this book, which is an exuberant and witty history and guide to a retail experience like no other...Did you know that Bumble Bee is the actual producer of the canned albacore tuna that the store sells under its Kirkland Signature brand? Or that you can get free hearing tests at Costco? Or that no rotisserie chicken stays on sale after two hours from the spit? Or that it can pay to visit one of Costo’s 24 Business Centers in the United States, which cater to small businesses but are open to all members, and where you can pick up a five-gallon bucket of pickles as opposed to the measly 64-ounce jars in a regular Costco? And who knew that the Costcos in Canada sell Montreal-style bagels—smaller, with larger holes, and baked in a wood-fired oven? You do not need to be a Costco cardholder (and there are over 124 million) to buy and enjoy this handsome book. True, it does not come with free samples—a staple of Costco stores—but, on the other hand, no lines! - Air Mail
Beautifully illustrated and just bizarre enough to adorn your coffee table…
The Joy of Costco won’t just sit pretty in your living room. It will have you enraptured with fun facts and inspire you to leave right now to buy a wholesale box of cashews.
This book has made me a Costco fan, and I’m sure anyone else who picks up this book will be excited to withstand the treacherous obstacle that is the parking lot just to experience Costco the way that David and Susan Schwartz do. – Samantha Hui, The Independent Book Review
