DAYTONA BEACH ― With just a month to go before its Feb. 22 opening day, membership sales for Costco at One Daytona are on pace to set a new record for the chain's Southeast region.
Those new members can refuel their vehicles with Kirkland Signature gas starting next week, when the Costco gas station opens here on Feb. 1, three weeks ahead of the store.
Both are nearing completion at the One Daytona entertainment/retail complex across the street from Daytona International Speedway.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal recently sat down with the new Costco store's management team.
Memberships are selling briskly
As of last week, nearly 800 new memberships have been sold here, said Donna Clinger, general manager of the Daytona Beach Costco.
That's nearly double the number the Costco store in Clermont sold a month before its opening in November 2023.
The Clermont Costco holds the record for most memberships sold by opening day for the chain's Southeast region, confirmed Tara Coltman, marketing manager for the seven-state area that includes Florida.
The Daytona Beach Costco is on track to shatter that record.
The temporary office for Costco next to First Watch restaurant at the Shoppes at One Daytona has been signing an average of 60 to 80 new members a day.
What makes the strong pre-opening sales remarkable is that those numbers were before the chain launched its outside marketing campaign for the new store this week, Clinger said. Membership sales are expected to pick up between now and opening day.
The buzz is building
Tamika Barbel, one of the new assistant general managers for the store, said she proudly wears her Costco name badge when she goes out in public.
"When I went to First Watch to grab a bite to eat the other day, the young lady standing next to me said, 'Oh my God, my mom is so excited you're coming!' We hear that everywhere we go," Barbel said.
Daytona Beach resident Brock Hartley signed up for a Costco membership on Jan. 18.
"I used to shop at Costco in Orlando," he said as he waited for his name to be called to meet with a store representative at the chain's temporary office next to First Watch. "I love Costco. All their products are high quality and their prices are really good."
Maryanne, a woman who only gave her first name to The News-Journal, loudly exclaimed, "I've been waiting since 2005 for Costco to get here!"
The woman explained that she was a Costco member in the state she lived in prior to moving to Daytona Beach 19 years ago.
Costco gas station opens next week
The members-only 24-pump Costco gas station will open 6 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, said Darrell Springer, one of the assistant general managers for the Daytona Beach location, on Tuesday.
Regular hours of operation for Costco gas stations are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
It will give the area another low-price option
Costco gas stations, like those of its chief rivals, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale, typically offer some of the lowest retail fuel prices in the communities they serve.
The catch is that the fuel can only be purchased by members.
On Tuesday, for example, the Costco gas station at 655 World Commerce Parkway in St. Augustine was selling regular gasoline for $2.81 a gallon, tied with the Buc-ee's gas station across the street for the lowest price in St. Johns County, according to GasBuddy.com.
In Seminole County, the Costco station in Altamonte Springs on Tuesday was selling regular gasoline for $2.81 a gallon, the lowest for that area.
In Volusia County, the cheapest place to buy gasoline on Tuesday was the members-only Sam's Club station next to the Interstate 95/LPGA Boulevard interchange in Daytona Beach where regular was selling for $2.86 a gallon. Buc-ee's across the street was selling it for $2.87 a gallon.
What time will the store open on Feb. 22?
Opening day festivities for Costco at One Daytona on Feb. 22, will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with members of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce at 7: 30 a.m.
The store will open to members immediately following the ceremony.
How many are expected to attend?
There's no way of knowing for sure, but Clinger said opening day for the Costco store in Clermont drew an estimated 10,000 members. The opening day turnout here is expected to match or exceed that number.
Some members camped out in front of the Clermont Costco overnight to be first to buy some of the special limited-quantity items on sale on opening day, she said.
Costco stores typically offers a constantly changing selection of limited-quantity items throughout the year in addition to its regular offerings.
Examples include actual gold bars that Costco stores carried this past holiday shopping season.
Clinger said the Daytona Beach Costco will have golf carts for sale as part of its opening day offerings.
One of the reasons Costco can keep its prices so low is its a rule of marking up items by no more than 10%, Clinger said. That can result in a huge savings, especially for items such as jewelry, which are typically sold by other chains at a considerably higher margin.
How does its size compare to other Costcos?
The Daytona Beach Costco will be the chain's 79th store in the Southeast and first in the Volusia-Flagler area. At roughly 162,000 square feet in size, it will be bigger than the Costco stores in Altamonte Springs (135,000 square feet) and east Orlando (146,000 square feet).
The Costco store that opened in St. Augustine in August 2022 is 152,000 square feet.
What will it offer?
In addition to its regular assortment of groceries and general items, the Daytona Beach Costco will offer several "fresh" departments including produce, meat/seafood, a bakery, and a deli and food court. It will also offer a pharmacy and departments offering optical and hearing-aid services as well as a liquor store and tire store.
What will be its regular hours of operation?
The regular store hours for the Costco store will be 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
How many employees have been hired so far?
As of last week, the Daytona Beach Costco has already received more than 3,000 applicants for the 300 to 350 jobs the new store is expected to employ on opening day, confirmed Barbel.
As of Jan. 18, the store had already hired 180 people who will begin training two weeks before opening day.
"We're looking for those that are eager to work and that want great benefits," said Barbel, who started at Costco 30 years ago as a front-end assistant. She was most recently merchandise manager for the Costco in east Orlando.
Clinger started at Costco in 1989 as a cashier assistant at the store in Pompano Beach. Before her promotion to general manager of the Daytona Beach Costco, she was an assistant general manager at the Costco in Boca Raton.
"The (minimum) starting pay for our location and for all Costco locations nationwide is $18.50 an hour," said Barbel. "We're excited to get people to sign up to work for Costco."
