I'm a big Costco fan (who isn't?), so I thought I understood how it all worked. You've got all your Costco classics: cheap pantry staples, prepared foods, bulk home products, and all the delicious treats and bakery items you could want.
But after years of being an avid shopper, though, I discovered I'd been missing out on a lot at Costco. Surprising products (and services) that you wouldn't think to go to Costco Canada for, but are actually life-changing once you find them.
Tire installations, optical services and custom-made cakes... Costco can do a lot for you; let's just put it that way.
Allow me to introduce you to the world of Costco offerings that you probably didn't even know were a thing.
Discounted gift cards
Gift cards on display: culinary and dining experiences for $79.99 each.
At first glance, it's just a wall of gift cards.
On a second look, you'll see that they're all discounted by 20%. Yup. You can get two $100 gift cards for restaurants, meal prep services and more for only $79.99. That's just about $20 in free value.
There were even Air Canada gift cards on discount, a great option to save money on your next flight.
Installation and travel services
Costco services: Installation, travel, and more on display.
The fact that Costco can plan your vacations and install new appliances or features in your home is aspirationally life-changing to me. Like, it will change the life of a future, wealthy me.
But I do think it just goes to show that Costco is a one-stop shop for everything. Renovating your house? Come to Costco. Planning a trip? Costco. Need excessive amounts of cheese? Yup, Costco.
Spice mixes
Two seasoning choices: Taco and Everything Bagel.
The spice aisle is one of my favourites at Costco because of the size and variety. I cook a lot, too, so it makes sense to buy things like garlic powder, salt and pepper in bulk.
But did you know Costco also has a sizable selection of spice mixes? It's perfect for when you don't want to mix them yourself, or just need to shake something delicious on your food. The taco seasoning and everything bagel are two great options. They're cheap, too — $5.99 for 735 grams of taco seasoning and $12.99 for 505 grams of everything bagel seasoning.
Flower bouquets
Vibrant floral bouquet bursting with pink and purple blooms.
OK, I did know that Costco sold flowers, but I didn't know that they bouquets are so big and so well-priced. Large premium floral arrangements were $29.99 and came in a vase. They all looked fresh and had a lot of different arrangements to choose from.
Something I also learned recently is that Costco also does wedding flowers. Like custom floral arrangements for your big day. Because, of course, what does Costco not do? Tucking that info away in my brain for a future date.
Cheese flights
Kirkland Cheese Flight: A gourmet selection for $42.99.
I fear that my charcuterie nights have not been as good as they could have been because I never knew about this Kirkland cheese flight. Five types of cheese in reasonable portions (aka don't need to buy the full Costco-sized option for each), ready for your board.
This package is 822 grams total for $42.99.
Period underwear
Reusable period underwear on display in various sizes.
Feel free to scroll if this section doesn't apply to you, but for those it does... Look! Knix is a Canadian brand that sells period underwear and other intimate and activewear. I've bought the brand before and, while awesome quality and function, can be quite pricey. Was very pleasantly surprised to see these packs of three for $39.99. That's only $13.33 each.
Besides Knix, Costco holds a variety of other brand-name clothing items, like Calvin Klein and Adidas.
Gorgeous, healthy plants
Shelf of lush green plants in woven pots at a store.
I love plants and have many throughout my house. I loved checking out all the houseplants at Costco and was surprised by, first, the sheer variety and quantity of them — so many great options. Then I was equally surprised by the quality. They were all healthy and gorgeous, a lot with new growth on them and no brown leaves in sight. I'm pretty impressed by the upkeep of these plants for sale, considering they're not in a greenhouse.
Like everything at Costco, most options were very large, so I restrained myself from bringing one home due to lack of space to put it. But I will be back...
I know I'm just scratching the surface of everything Costco sells. So I guess I just need to keep going back, right?
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.