For many, there are particular stores whose savings, line of products, or just the experience of it all are ones that can trigger a longing for the amenities of a previous duty station. Some well-loved grocery retailers not currently operating out of Minot include Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and, the most frequently mentioned, Costco. Fortunately, as of August 25, 2020 a Costco Experience is somewhat within reach for Minot residents – if they are willing and able to make the drive to Bismarck. “Is anybody going to Costco this weekend?”; “Does Costco deliver to Minot?”; and “I’m headed to Bismarck, what are the best things to get at Costco?” These are questions that can be found recurring on community social media pages in and around Minot.
Costco is a membership warehouse club that passes its bulk savings on to consumers, in addition to auto, optical, and pharmacy services as well as their iconic food court, where a hot dog and soda still only set you back $1.50. The attraction is in the deals on anything from electronics to home furnishings to seasonal clothing, and of course groceries! For those who venture out less often or for bigger families there is also the all-important convenience and savings of being able to buy items in bulk. But the most significant deals at Costco come not from buying their non-perishable goods but by buying perishables such as meat, eggs, and fresh produce. Their signature Kirkland brand of products are known to be both high quality and affordable. And while Costco delivers certain products to Minot via two-day delivery, perishables are only available to those in the immediate Bismarck area through third party delivery service Instacart, which heaps on additional fees for the service. This is why, the only way to take full advantage of the Costco experience has been to make the three hour trip down there oneself.
While others have put out feelers about offering “Costco Runs,” where an individual would take requests, shop for, and deliver items back to others in the base community, and sometimes there have been offers for one-off Costco deliveries, there had not been anyone offering this on a more predictable basis. Not, that is, until McKynzie Thompson and her family moved to Minot six months ago. Originally from Mandan, located just across the Missouri River from Bismarck, they have strived to visit family every four to six weeks.
When asked what prompted her to start offering Costco runs McKynzie shared, “The first time we went down and visited family, my husband [SSgt Wyatt Thompson] and I kind of joked around with the idea… After thinking more about it, I said why not and posted to Facebook to see if there was any interest.” It turns out, there was.
Beginning with just two individuals on their first run in November, she expanded to six families on their most recent trip in late December. She noted that she is willing to drop off deliveries on base or to meet those in town somewhere along Broadway, but that picking items up at her home is also an option for those with base access. McKynzie also shared that she would potentially be willing to pick up items elsewhere in town (Chick-Fil-A fans, take note!) To take advantage of the next Costco run, interested families should keep an eye on unofficial base community pages as this is not a business with its own page so much as a friendly service being offered to those who miss being near a Costco. While these deliveries occur every four to six weeks, in conjunction with family visits, McKynzie added that if more people were interested in placing a Costco order, she could see herself going more frequently.
Despite having access to Costco a few hours away, the movement to petition for a Minot location has not faded away entirely. The web site change.org includes a petition (found at https://www.change.org/p/craig-jelinek-open-a-costco-in-minot-north-dakota ) dating back to 2019 that is still active and had received signatures as recently as three months ago. But according to Costco’s web site, the best way to request a new location is to utilize the “feedback” section on their own site.
If enough individuals in Minot and the surrounding areas declared their interest, perhaps the case for a third North Dakota location could be opened? Alternatively, maybe an option to make perishable items deliverable to the Magic City could emerge. In the meantime, members of the community such as McKynzie, whose family hopes to be here for a few years yet, can continue to bring the joy of Costco to one another through the occasional Costco run.
