I’d add TJX, but why do you need retail to be part of your portfolio? The sector is going to be really challenging with how overbuilt US retail space is. Most retailers have too big of footprint for their sales level. Their same store sales growth is pathetic. They’ve already saturated the country with stores, so they aren’t adding new ones at a meaningful rate. Why own something that isn’t growing and isn’t paying a 4%+ dividend?
The only retailer or restaurant that’s worth investing in are regional ones that are just starting to go national. That’s when they can grow at rates seen by tech companies. Chipotle and Panera did it for years.
I would. Sure they have better prices on gas than anyone plus 4% cash back, but they have a lot of other good deals. Prescriptions are cheap, OTC drugs are crazy cheap, most of them going for a penny a pill. Nutritional supplements are a good deal there too. Rotisserie chicken only $5. Lots of specials every month. Glasses and hearing aids are cheap. Quality tires are reasonably priced and they don’t nickel and dime you on extras.
I don’t. “Amazon is killing retail” has become accepted wisdom and I wonder if its true across the board. There may be retail companies doing good business but shares are nonetheless depressed because of the amazon narrative. I am curious.
I opened a small position on Five Below. Let’s see how it goes.
One of the biggest open secrets is that you don’t need to be a paying member to use Costco pharmacy. By law they have to open to everybody. Just tell the person guarding entrance you are getting prescription and she has to let you in.
Not at all. I am thinking of doubling my position on Amazon thru calls.
I buy the Costco Pastured Eggs (as opposed to the plain organic eggs). The pastured ones, where the chickens eat bugs, are good and very inexpensive for what they are.
Yes, we are both Costco Members as well as Amazon Prime members.
Costco is my #1 go-to for nearly all groceries.
Costco is also my goto for on-sale items needed to repair rental units - like faucets.
Amazon is for whatever non-perishable SKU we need that we cannot find at Costco (like a humidity-sensing fan control switch, most recently)
Other local grocers are for specialty items, like live crabs, figs, double old soy sauce, etc.
I don’t get gas at Costco - its a waste of time and effort to drive all the way to a Costco for gasoline. Moreover, our Prius does not consume much gasoline.
Outside of Amazon, Costco, and other local grocers, we don’t really shop at any other retail establishment.
Note - we pay for the Costco membership, but our Amazon prime membership is free - we were “Prime friends and family” back from the beginning when Amazon first started the Prime offering — a family member “gave” us Prime and we have been deemed as such ever since.
I cancelled Costco membership when they switched from amex to something else and started to purchase all products I used to buy from costco from amazon through subscribe&save.
Given the quality, I don’t think Amazon is more expensive than Costco.
Amazon provides more options as well.
Besides, shopping at Costco make me feel exhausted at the end.
I love Costco and absolutely hate Amazon. It’s whole business model is flawed. Driving around delivering individual boxes is wasteful and and a environmental disaster. Why aren’t the tree huggers protesting.
Can you imagine the number of boxes required to deliver a typical Costco run??
I feel guilty.
In my defense, save&subscribe combines all items (in different orders) and delivers once a month packing many things in one big box.
I will probably go offline shopping more when I retire. However, at this point, my time is the most valuable asset I have.
