A Costco Near Paris: Worth the Trip? (2024)

I grew up in the US, but I moved to Paris when I was still a student, so my memory of member-only-discount-bulk-shopping stores such as Sam’s Club are a very distant memory for me. Not that I haven’t heard of Costco. You’d have to live in a cave (without Internet access) to not know how popular these stores are in the United States. But as someone who can’t stand shopping at all, I never made a point to visit one during my trips there over the past 25 years.

Until recently, competition from French hypermarchés such as Carrefour and Géant kept these stores out of France. But in June 2017 Costco finally managed to open a store in a very inconvenient location approximately 35 minutes south of Paris, just off the A10 highway near Orly airport. If you drive, you’ll most likely need 45 minutes to get there and about an hour to return if you’re dumb enough to go on the weekend or after work, because the traffic jams getting back into Paris are horrific.

If you don’t have a car or access to one, you’ll have to take the RER B to Massy, then one of the four local bus lines to La Brûlerie. And who on earth would bother taking the train and bus (and then the hike across the immense parking lot) to go to a store where everything is sold in bulk? Maybe if you’re just getting a discounted sonic toothbrush, a new winter coat, or a few bags of hot dog buns. But would that really be worth the trek?

When my friends (a Franco-American couple) asked me if I wanted to join them last Saturday afternoon for a drive down to check it out, this is what I thought would be the most helpful use of half of my Saturday: “Is it worth it?” Parisians hate crossing the peripherique ring road unless they’re getting a REALLY good deal.

When we arrived, my friends explained that it was organized in a giant square, with dry goods, clothing, electronics and home items in the front and middle sections, food in the back and side, and the inexplicably-famous hotdog counter after the checkout. I let them loose with their list and an extra-wide shopping cart, and set out on my own to compare some prices. As expected for a warehouse store, it’s a sterile, ugly setting with harsh lighting. There’s hardly a thought on presentation or helping people figure out what’s in each aisle. Saving money is the only pleasure I can imagine gaining from this shopping experience. So how much can I actually save?

Right after the artificial Christmas trees were the electronics, including big-screen TVs, stereos and laptops. I actually need a new laptop, so I’ve been hawkishly watching over prices on the latest Zenbooks in all of the usual locations (FNAC, RueduCommerce, Boulanger, Darty, Amazon). None of the ones at Costco had the specs I was looking for (at least 16Go of RAM, for example), and the ones they did have were more expensive than what I had already found. For example, a Zenbook 14 selling for €999 at Costco is easily found on two major French electronics websites for €799.

In the small electronics aisle, I priced up the blenders for my partner, who keeps eyeing up my Vitamix, but cringing at the price tag. There was indeed a Vitamix blender for €499 at Costco, which seems to be a pretty good deal (most other shops are selling the same model for €650). There was also a Russell Hobbs compact blender for €49 instead of the €70 found in most other stores.

I cruised aisles of garden tools, pet products (bulk packages of doggie bags would have been handy when I had two dogs), office supplies, and a few toys. In almost every case, there wasn’t a huge selection, but there were indeed some great deals, like the small Kiddie brand fire extinctor with wall attachment I picked up for just €14.99 (they’re about twice that in most shops) and the Brita carafe filter replacements (which were actually the same exact price as on Amazon.fr, but cheaper than at my local Monoprix). I also see a Samsonite backpack that’s made for carrying a laptop for €50, half the price of the one I just bought at BHV that morning. But they only have it in black and I liked the pretty blue one I bought.

I only made a cursory glance at the piles and racks of clothing in the center, because that just seemed too exhausting (a glance at technical hiking socks for €16 didn’t slow me down) before heading to the food section. My friends told me the best part about this part of Costco are the free samples, but that comparing prices is tough because everything is sold in quantities you just never see in Paris. That is certainly true, for two obvious reasons: Parisians have small apartments with even smaller refrigerators (where are you going to fit that one-gallon ketchup bottle?), and they tend to like their food fresh, not with a two-year shelf-life. The only French people buying in these quantities are people having a party (and that’s when you really need to buy 100 hamburger buns) or running a restaurant (and there are actually special wholesale stores for registered business owners called Metro). But not all French people cook every meal from scratch these days, and I’m sure if my friends with kids had enough room to store a year’s worth of cereal boxes, they would.

The baked goods section has the large packages of hot dog and hamburger buns that, granted, are easier to find now in regular Parisian supermarkets, but not in quantities of 20 or more. There are also enormous packages of bland-looking croissants and baguettes sold in three-packs, which I still find scary, even though I can see the actual bakery in the back, just like any other hypermarché in France. At this point I’m being a bit of a snob, I know, because they might be the best baguettes in France. But I have a half dozen bakeries within two minutes of my front door in Paris, and strolling out to get a baguette in a pleasant setting that smalls amazing and makes my mouth water is part of the experience, not simply finding sustenance to stuff my face.

Back in the baked good aisles, I see chocolate chip cookies and try a sample offered by a young employee. It’s not great, but then again I love to make real American chocolate chip cookies, so I don’t think any store-bought cookies in France can compete with them. Perfectly edible, but not really worth carrying around with my heavy fire extinguisher (I soon realize I look a little weird walking around with it like I’m the fire code inspector, and wrangle myself an enormous shopping cart to put it in…there are no “baskets” to carry, just the super-sized carts). The pumpkin pies catch my eye because I have had an absurd love affair with pumpkin pies since my childhood (long enough ago to be one of the few humans who think it’s the ONLY legitimate food that should use pumpkin pie spice as an ingredient). The ones here are huge, about 50% bigger than the 8” ones I usually make, and cost €6.99. Trying to gather the ingredients needed for pumpkin pie in Paris usually cost twice that, not to mention the actual baking part. Once I paid €29 for a ready-made pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving (the American food store that’s now closed) because I had more money than time that year, but I knew it was going to taste perfect. I consider buying one of these suspiciously cheap pies to test them out, but alas I will be out of town all week so fresh food isn’t going to make it home with me on this expedition.

My friends, on the other hand, are all stocked up. They tell me how the Costco brand (called Kirkland “Signature” for some reason) foods are usually very good, with their wines and olive oils winning all sorts of blind taste tests. I wonder if the taste tests are conducted by the employees giving out the free samples. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I won’t be doing any actual fresh food shopping here today. I do, however, pick up a case of Heinze Baked Beans because I know I have room and they come to less than €1/can (in Paris they’re usually around €1.50). I look for organic produce and foods, which are scattered here and there amongst the other non-organic foods. The Kirkland frozen organic blueberries are actually more per kilo at Costco than my local Casino supermarket (although quantities are different, the price tags in France includes the price per kilo so you don’t have to do the math). The organic sweet potatoes are slightly less.

While considering a case of oat milk, a stink bug made a cameo appearance (not that Costco is the only place you’ll see them, supposedly they’re infesting Paris now), so I move on.

I actually need toilet paper, but there’s only one choice, the Kirkland Signature 3-Ply 40-roll for €14.99. I’m a bit peeved there’s no choice of TP made from recycled paper, and that the enormous plastic package actually has ten 4-packs individually wrapped in plastic inside (and you can find 40-packs of eco-friendly TP made from recycled paper on Amazon.fr for €17, but their delivery is so spotty I avoid them where possible). I also needed parchment paper for cooking, and the double-pack at Costco costs a lot less than what I pay at my local supermarket, however when I got home I realized too late the super-sized rolls don’t fit in my Ikea kitchen roll dispenser. Annoyed.

One of the reasons Americans living in France seem to like Costco is to find American foods, even though peanut butter and cranberry juice are now found in pretty much every store in France. But Costco has (fist-sized) marshmallows, (individually-plastic-wrapped) cheddar cheese slices, huge sacks of pecans, and Hellman’s mayonnaise sold in a bulk box of 200 individual serving packets. Yes, I’m a bit annoyed at the packaging overload. It’s just hard not to equate this type of shopping with a massive disregard for the environment when I see jumbo boxes of plastic utensils on sale at Costco the same week the EU finally approves a ban on single-use cutlery by 2021 to try and stop the flow of them into our oceans (and the stomachs of endangered marine wildlife).

At the checkout, my friends find their produce squashed beneath heavier items (the employees load the cart) and complain that it happened the first time they visited, too. They also come away disappointed that a few of the items they came to get were out of stock. I still stand in line at the exit to get a membership card because it’s only €35, and I figure if I plan it well I can still save money on some of the non-food items like electronics, office supplies and appliances if I come three or four times a year. So yes, I figure it’s worth it for me, and perhaps for people who know exactly what they want and how much they usually pay for it.

The food, however, is a huge turnoff for me. Part of it is being spoiled by the markets in Paris for 25 years, and part of it is self-preservation from my own base instincts.

I’m hardly a foodie, and I can barely cook. It took me a long time to finally appreciate the wholistic attitude towards quality food in France, from the shopping to the presentation to the preparing to the eating; the actual “experience” of food that so many people come to France to experience themselves. It took me a long time to see meals as anything other than an annoying disturbance to my productive day, and to stop buying generic food and Harry’s sliced white bread. I still have to fight off the desire to eat cereal at my desk three times a day when I’m working from home (and clearly I won’t be making baked beans from scratch this winter). Years of (sometimes not so) gentle teasing by my culinarily-woke friends who patiently explained the importance of food appreciation in France’s culture has only just started to sink into my thick skull, so buying discount food in bulk from a warehouse outside the Orly airport just feels like going backwards for me. I understand some people can’t afford to shop locally, or that they prefer to spend their money elsewhere, but for now I’d rather pay more for a better overall experience. I’m clearly not Costco’s target customer, and it makes me a bit sad to think that perhaps some day more and more French people will start preferring “convenience” over their wonderful culinary heritage. The French hypermarchés aren’t far from there with their own mass-market branding and discounts that compete with smaller food markets, but they still make an effort to present the food in an appetizing manner and to be conscientious of where the food comes from.

For now, at least, a visit to Costco is inconvenient enough to make it an exceptional trip, and not something that becomes a regular habit for Parisians who will surely miss the local food markets more than they’ll miss the money they saved. But that’s an entirely different (and much longer) debate that I’m sure one of Paris’ gifted food writers can tackle more graciously than I ever could.

Hours are Mon-Fri 10am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm. Exceptionally open November 1st this year. Membership fee is €35/year, official ID and proof of residence required (a recent utilities bill with name and address works).

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• As a U.S. expat living in France and former U.S. Costco dad, to me, the value of Costco was not so much in providing the cheapest price on any given item. Rather it was an intersection of value and convenience. Costco carried a lot of product categories, making it a convenient one-stop shopping experience (particularly useful in car-oriented suburban wasteland U.S.). While it carried a lot of product, it only carried a few brands in any particular product category. They generally did a pretty good job vetting brands so that you could feel confident that you weren’t buying junk and you didn’t have to do much brand comparison. And finally, while you weren’t guaranteed to get the lowest price on a purchase, you could feel confident that you at least weren’t being ripped-off. Oh! I almost forgot one other reason for going to Costco in the U.S.: the tasting stations! But if you’re only planning on going once or a couple of times a year because you think you can get a unique product or price for that product, it’s not worth going – especially considering you have to buy a membership.

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• Thank you for your review. Costco has good shelving – in my view far superior to the products available in Europe (I live in Germany), and for a relatively low price. They also have tires and things that are well priced in the US. I read that the British Costcos also have tires and hardware, and it looks from the website like the French do to. I contacted the US customer service as well as the manufacturer of the shelves I want, but they referred me to the Paris Costco, and I can't speak French. I wish they had one near Munich — I suggested it to Costco US. I imagine the wines are good at the Paris Costco (which my wife would like), but I am more interested in the hardware and appliances. Any comments on these things? House space is not an issue, but the 10h car trip would be, unless we attach it to a vacation. https://www.costco.fr/produits-services.html

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• Costco pumpkin pie is very good. Thanks for describing your scouting expedition. I’d like to experience a French Costco, but given the logistics it’s doubtful I’ll be doing that on a future visit to France.

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• I can understand if anyone lives too far from any store or any place they want to go. Distance is something we all try to avoid in todays vehicle gridlock. However, if someone lives conveniently near Costco, they will most likely go. Costco has approximately 723 units worldwide, so they know what they are doing. If they did not locate the store near Paris, then they had a reason not to. Costco locates to where they can service a wide area. There is also cost of rent! The Costco you are speaking of will do just fine, and it will only get busier all the time.

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• Hi Heather, Normally I agree with your ideas and suggestions presented in your article but not with this one about Costco.This new store is not located in Paris itself but in the suburbs. Living in a South suburban town, I can easily go to Costco in Villebon by car. It is obvious that if you live in Paris, this place is not for you! I like this wholesale store as we can find original products at a good price. It is not like when you shop at Carrefour, Leclerc, Auchan… they all look the same. But if you live alone in a small flat, don't go to Costco as you have to buy in bulk.I am French and normally I avoid a lot of American products (buns, coca cola, ketchup…) but at Costco you can also find great products from elsewhere, as well as products from France!. The cheese and wine sections for instance are very interesting. I often buy good oysters from Normandy. I skip the fruit section as you find too many fresh produce from very far (USA, South America). I think it's stupid to eat strawberries from California or cherries from Chile in autumn or winter.I am happy shopping at Costco as for each type of products the offer is limited, but well chosen. So you don't waste your time looking for a product. Moreover, the furniture is minimum and you are not distracted.I agree though, that they should indicate the different sections inside the store. The first time you go there, you are a bit lost. The staff is very kind and efficient. You don't queue for long at the cash desk and there are 2 employees at the cashier, one unloads/loads your trolley. I have never had the problem your friend mentioned regarding goods being placed at the bottom and crushed in the trolley.I definitively support Costco specially as the big French retailers (Carrefour…) tried to block them from entering the French market. Now it is up to the French retailers to improve their offers and especially their service. The store in Villebon is quite a big success, it is very popular in the area and is crowded during the weekends. Thanks for your newsletter!

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• Do not miss the single BEST thing at ANY Costco: French made Kirkland champagne by Manuel Janisson et Fils in Verzenay, France. It is superior in every way to the big 'famous' labels and wins blind tastings by experts.

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• Hi HeatherI finally bought a Costco memberhsip in the US this year and they say I can use it here. I had a great experience buying a really bad coffee maker, then returning it to Costco simply because I didn't like it. Can't beat that. I wonder if it would be the same here in France. I'll have to try it sometime, but indeed the location of this store is a pain in the rear. I live in the Yvelines and figure it would take 45 minutes of intense trafficky driving to get there. One day I'll steel myself and go, but won't buy much because I can't go thru gallons and 10 packs with a household of 2! Lisa

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• Thanks for the article. We just moved back to California after living the past 2 years in the 17th of Paris. Before we moved to France in 2016, I had been happy to learn that a Costco would soon be opening. But once we arrived (and realized the completely impossible commute… especially with us not owning a car), I was happy NOT to be going to Costco anymore. We're now back home in the SF Bay Area, living in the suburbs again. That means mandatory car trips for EVERYTHING … no more daily wheely-cart shopping trips around the corner to the market on Rue de Levis, or Monoprix. No more Metro. It's back to Costco and Trader Joe's for us. I do enjoy the blissful peace of our quiet suburban neighborhood, but I really miss being in the center of everything in Paris … walking out the door and having access to all the fresh food and cafes I could ever want within 2 blocks of our apartment. Our last couple of months in Paris included watching all of the World Cup matches in cafes with the rest of the country, including the amazing final … plus me wandering a few blocks up to the Champs-Élysées to see the finish of the Tour de France. And of course our annual family picnic beneath la tour Eiffel on Bastille Day for the concert and fireworks. We have another decade or so of kid-raising to do here in the states, but then we're thinking of moving back to Paris … at least part of the year. In the meantime, thanks again for the newsletter.

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• Could I please have your Paris Costco!I live in the Middle East I would kill to shop at Costco

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• Thanks for the comments, YB. I certainly agree about electronics. I'll buy my laptop wherever it's the best value for me. I don't feel any loyalty to FNAC or Darty in any case. But for food, I'm going to try and stick to local shops. Apparently some people think being annoyed by excessive packaging and traffic jams makes me arrogant, but I believe we all reap what we sow. There's a reason there are more stores like Costco in the US than locally-owned, independent food shops and markets. Even if we agree the quality of the food is equal (fresh food, that is), then the decision is strictly based on whether you think it's worth saving money if that means you have to travel to the suburbs and shop in a sterile, harsh environment rather than shopping locally and supporting local shop keepers who make an effort to make the shopping experience more pleasant. Some people couldn't care less. I hope they're not in the majority. Customer service isn't dead in France, but it's a two-way street. I have been amazed at the service I get (even at FNAC, but then again my expectations are often low there). I think the French excel in presentation, and for me that counts as part of the overall experience as much as welcoming staff. I should also mention that I lived in the suburbs for several years, too far to walk to any shops. I would have still preferred to drive to a small, local market five minutes away rather than drive a half hour to the enormous Carrefour just to pick up some cereal and toilet paper, even if they were half the price.

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• Heather, thanks! I spend only 2 months a year in Paris and miss Costco (for some things) when I am there. Like you, and most Parisians, the lifestyle that includes twice- or thrice-weekly trips to the local markets, access to incredible bakeries, are parts of Parisian life that I cherish. I live alone and Costco quantities can be both overwhelming and off-putting. I have not yet been to the Paris Costco because of the inconvenience of getting there, and, as mentioned, how to carry bulky items on the return trip? This wasn't very well thought out! I'm thinking that I will find a cheap car rental and make a trip there at the beginning of my next stay and get it over with. So, not having been to this store, and assuming (from your description) that it does resemble the Costco in the US (unlike the Carrefour in Beijing that has no French or even European supplies of any sort), I might still find enough there that I would want to buy based on the types of things your descriptions and pictures indicate, and this is what I am curious about. Costco is not a full-service store, by any means — it's still necessary to shop elsewhere for many things. In the US, Costco has a lesser selection than the other wholesale stores or supermarkets, but the ones they sell are the better ones — and the ones I would choose from a US supermarket that has several aisles filled with varieties of cereal or dog food that I don't want. The Kirkland brand is fairly high quality and I trust it. The fresh food is not a big reason for me to go there because I would not forsake the weekly markets, although sometimes it's hard to pass up 6 mangos for less than 1 Euro each when they are selling for 2 Euros each at the weekly markets. If I buy these quantities, I can easily share them with friends or neighbors. The meat is excellent and very well-priced, and the prepared foods are well chosen for quality. Greek yogurt is about half the price and it keeps well (if you have space, of course — or share). In fact, I would say that the buyers for Costco are aware of quality and ingredients when they choose what they sell. I have to admit, though, that the idea of 200 packets of Hellman's is off-putting, except that it doesn't need refrigeration and maybe the small French refrigerators are the reason for marketing it that way — just a guess; in the US, it is sold in large jars. On the electronics side, I don't find that Darty, FNAC or amazon is necessarily helpful (in fact, it's often hard to find someone to ask ANY question of!), but the Costco customer service is — there is always someone knowledgeable and helpful, and one only needs to go to the customer service stand to get instant assistance in any department. Not always cheaper (but not more expensive) for electronics, it is the warranty, whether stated or not, that Costco provides beyond the manufacturer that makes it the best place to purchase such items. (It's usually possible to return things directly to Costco rather than mail them to the manufacturer if there are problems; sometimes it may be after one year! I've never seen them turn a customer away because they actually value the customers.) The fact that customer service is important to Costco makes a large purchase (TV, printer, camera and even printer ink refills) there worthwhile. Even when the prices are not lower (such as for iPads or similar brands) for the electronics (laptops, phones, etc.), there is always something "special" that is provided — a free case, or extra battery or headphone or something that gives it a competitive edge. And there are some things that are unbelievably cheap, such as (LED) lightbulbs, Vitamix, almonds, and maybe German bathroom or kitchen faucets, all name brands. And — yes — hearing aids; the batteries for the hearing aids are about 1/5 the cost of elsewhere — the difference alone being enough to pay for the membership. Many items are available for only a short time until they are gone — Levis, down jackets, toys, bedding, Halloween costumes, Christmas gift baskets, garden hoses, all at greatly reduced prices. Unless there are coupons sent through the mail making them even cheaper, the prices for these items are at a good savings. The Costco nearest me is an hour's drive (no public transportation goes there, either!), and I probably go only 4-5 times a year, but the savings on what I buy there more than pays for my membership, and I'm happy with what I have bought. I will certainly visit the Paris Costco in coming months to verify that, but my expectations are that I will have things that I want to buy — both American and French — and that it won't take money away from my local tradespeople. (Well, maybe Darty….)

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• Paris…. and you are pointing out “ketchup”? “Hamburger buns”? 😆

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• Kirkland Signature is a nod toward the city of their former HQ in Kirkland Washington. Much better than their current location Issaquah (where I live near). Great article!

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• Thanks Brenda, glad to help! As I pointed out in the article, I'm not likely their target client; Parisians with small kitchens and no cars are never going to be big shoppers, but possibly people in the suburbs (one of the reasons I hated living outside Paris and even in the countryside in Antibes…either you have to drive and find a parking spot to go to a real market, or you end up at a hypermarché with the constant "Battle of the Shopping Carts" (anyone who has gone to the big Carrefours outside the cities knows what I mean…chaos and incivility at its best).

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• Thanks for saving me a trip Heather. I moved to Paris 5 years ago. Wheeling my caddy twice a week to our local open air market is one of my greatest pleasures. I avoided Costco in the US and now can continue to do so in Paris. Bravo for going and reporting in.

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