Gucci at Costco? Check out these surprising designer finds
Luxury items like this Louis Vuitton bag regularly crop up on the Costco website, and are gone in a flash. Credit: BLOOMBERG NEWS/JUDITH WHITE
Next time you're placing a big order at Costco.com, do yourself a favor and key "Yves Saint Laurent" into the search bar. No luck? Try "Louis Vuitton," "Gucci," "Chanel" or "Prada." If you haven't shopped designer before at the goliath retail warehouse, you might be surprised at the exclusive lineup of rotating inventory that regularly crops up — and then quickly disappears.
"Like many items sold at Costco, designer handbags are not announced prior to sale," a member of Costco's corporate communications team said via email, in response to an inquiry about some of the super-posh pocketbooks and satchels that have recently populated the wholesaler's website. "Beyond that, our policy is not to comment specifically on the availability of any item."
Availability being the key word.
More than a few popular designer bags reside on Costco's highly trafficked website — Chloe, YSL and Fendi among them — but when you try to place these primo handbags in your cart, an error message tells you that the product is not found. The cutest Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote was there last week, now it's gone. So while Costco's catalog of designer goods does exist, it's extremely competitive. Almost as frustrating as logging in to buy concert tickets and watching the bounty quickly disappear.
"The warehouse club isn't an authorized reseller for certain high-end products, such as designer handbags and fragrances," Kiplinger reported in a piece about Costco's well-kept luxury goods secret. "Those goods end up on Costco's shelves via the supply chain's 'gray market' that's filled with surplus merchandise or items with minor blemishes or subtle quality variations that upscale boutiques don't want ... And the manufacturer's warranty may not apply to your product if Costco isn't an authorized reseller."
But they are real, not counterfeit, the site reported, and they are decently discounted.
This Prada bag is among the items that can find their way to Costco via the supply chain's 'gray market.' Credit: Bloomberg/Dhiraj Singh
Chloe's medium Darryl bag, which retails for $1,850 at Bergdorf, was listed for $1,399 on Costco.com. The YSL Kate, $1,990 at Neiman Marcus, is also $1,399 at Costco. Prada's Saffiano, listed for $2,250 on the designer's site, can be snapped up for $1,599. And the Fendi "By The Way" Crossbody is priced at $1,299 on the wholesaler's website, a steal from the designer's list price of $1,750. But that's only if you can spot and grab it from Costco's extremely limited supply.
If you strike out in handbags, there are other designer accessories and beauty products to be had: Alexander McQueen offers sunglasses there, as do coveted brands like Maui Jim, Rayban and Oakley. Salvatore Ferragamo and Versace feature $500 watches on the site, and the very prestigious Omega Seamaster brand has timepieces ranging between $8,000 and $20,000 on Costco.com.
Chanel's $650 Sublimage skin serum can be purchased for $499, and Dior's Prestige LaCreme balmy face cream retails for $289 — a steep discount from dior.com 's $400 price tag. Perfume and cologne aficionados can snap up Tom Ford and Gucci varieties at $75 to $100 less than retail, and high-end beauty brands like La Mer and SK-II also sell here.
And if you really have some expendable cash, check out the "TreasureHunt" tab on Costco's homepage. It's there that you'll find a $30,000 strand of Golden South Sea cultured pearls and an $8,000 set of six-carat drippy diamond earrings. To celebrate all of your designer purchases, pop a Veuve Clicquot champagne and caviar gift set in your cart. It comes with chilled crème fraiche, and is a steal at $169.99.
