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https://www.thejuggernaut.com/costco-asians-why-south-asians-love-costco?s=cmi6c6cho0007s601skejfkkm


Patel isn’t alone. New data reveals that Costco is a favorite for Asian American shoppers, who are 81% more likely to shop at the wholesale giant than the average consumer. One 2022 article even explored how the warehouse became a staple for Asian Americans but largely excluded South Asians. So why does this group love the retailer so much? Those The Juggernaut interviewed said there was much more to it than just finding a bargain.

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Patel’s parents emigrated from Gujarat to Miami in the 1980s and have been Costco members since 1999. “It’s like a one-stop shop place for people who are from food insecure places or have this kind of scarcity mindset,” said Patel. At one point, her parents even shared their membership with another family to split the cost as the “two uncles would pass as the same person.”

For the Patels, the Costco membership wasn’t just a membership to a wholesaler — it gave them a sense of belonging and security in a new home. “Costco…will nurture and tell that little part of them like, ‘Hey, it’s alright. It’s okay. You’re welcome here. We got everything. You’re safe,’” Patel said. And Costco, which sells customers items in bulk, is the antithesis of scarcity, especially for immigrants who didn’t grow up with much. Costco is also risk-free: part of the experience is a generous 90-day refund policy on all items. (Who can forget the Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham scene in which Rahul jokes with Anjali about always buying things and then returning them — relatable to anyone in the South Asian diaspora?)