- Money
RELIGIOUS DIVIDE
The wholesaler turns out to be a hit amongst the Amish community
- Charlotte Maracina, Freelance News Reporter
COSTCO shoppers online are furious over special parking spots available for a select group of customers.
Costco stores in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, not only have spots reserved for cars but also for those who opt to travel the old-fashioned way–with horse and buggy.
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Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is the center of Amish country in the United States.
The county, which is about 64 miles from Philadelphia, is home to over 74,000 Amish residents, Amish Farm and House reported.
To accommodate the large Amoish presence, retailers have included parking spots for horse and buggies, the traditional form of transport still used by the Amish community.
Although the Amish community is known for farming and producing their own products, one retail chain frequented by members of the community is Costco.
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“They have large families, and they're looking for ways to save money, and they're looking for quality goods,” writer David Schwartz told Business Insider.
“Costco provides a very convenient way for buying large quantities for large Amish families.”
Costco, a wholesale retail chain known for selling products in bulk, naturally drew attention from the community.
The large Amish customer base led the retailer to add horse and buggy parking sports to its parking lot.
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The parking spots are spaced out, include covered stalls for the animals to wait, and have a shovel and hose in case owners need to clean up any messes.
Although these unique parking spots aren’t solely available at Costco, some Reddit users have voiced complaints over the wholesaler’s special spots.
Costco shoppers who buy Kirkland products to get one-time $55.90 payment – no proof of receipt is needed to get the cash
One Walmart shopper posted a picture of the horse and buggy parking spot with the caption, “Costco in Lancaster, PA, has Amish parking.”
Over 100 users replied to the post–many found the photo funny, but some were not too happy.
“I go to the same Costco. I get so irritated that they have prime parking. Why isn’t their parking on the lower lot so we don’t have to see and smell s***?” one Redditor wrote.
Another shopper wrote about the time his car was trashed by one of the horses.
“I just went out to Lancaster for beekeeping supplies, and someone’s horse parked next to our car and proceeded to poop and pee everywhere,” the shopper posted.
Another even wrote that it was ‘horrific’ that the store was ‘pushing religion’ on its customers.
Despite some outrage, most users didn’t mind the parking spots.
Some commenters joked, asking if the store offers a carriage wash instead of a car wash.
“Yes, but do they have the $7.99 carriage wash,” the customer asked.
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Others joked about the parking of the carriages.
“The Amish park their live animals better than people park their cars,” the commenter wrote.
Membership and store cards on offer from major retailers
Here is a breakdown of the store cards on offer to customers from various retailers and their benefits
* If you click a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue.
Costco:
- Gold Star Membership: $60 per year, shop all Costco stores and online with two additional cards for your household.
- Executive Membership:$120 per year, annual 2% reward, additional discounts and benefits on Costco services, shop online and in-store, and get two additional cards for household use.
- Sign up for a Costco Membership here
Sam's Club:
- Club Membership:$50 per year, bonus offers, same-day delivery, instant savings, Sam's Club Mastercard, members-only fuel savings, tire and battery center, complimentary membership, and add-on memberships.
- Plus Membership:$110 per year, all benefits of Club membership plus Sam's Cash, free shipping, free curbside pickup, early shopping, and pharmacy and optical savings.
- Sign up for Sam's Club Membership here
Target:
- Target Circle:A free-to-join reward program allowing users to earn 1% in Target Circle earnings rewards when an eligible purchase is made, access deals and personalized offers, get a birthday gift, and earn a vote to help direct how Target helps out your community.
- Target Circle Card:A credit, debit, or reloadable account card that gives users 5% off in-store and online as well as exclusive offers, free two-day shipping, and an additional 30-day returns window. Formerly Target RedCard.
- Sign up for Target Circle here
Walmart:
- Walmart+: $12.95 per month or $98 per year with a free 30-day trial. Offers members free delivery, free shipping with no minimum spend, fuel savings, Paramount+ subscription, auto car, Walmart+ travel, returns from home, mobile scan and go in-store, and early access to deals and product releases.
- Sign up for Walmart+ here
Topics
- Costco
- Money US
- Parking rules and fines
- Pennsylvania
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