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Costco sneak preview was the big event in Middleton

Amy Mertz  —  8/23/2008 6:49 pm

MIDDLETON -- Apparently, VIP status isn't so exclusive these days.

Although the new Costco Wholesale warehouse on the western edge of Middleton allegedly invited select people to its VIP preview night on Tuesday, so many showed up that the Middleton Police Department was forced to direct traffic for several hours on Deming Way.

The giant parking lot was jam-packed, so many of those eager to get their only membership-free chance to peek inside the store were forced to park on nearby streets.

Once inside, though, it was evident why the turnout was so amazing. Complimentary shrimp cocktail, broiled salmon and a roast beef carving station drew swarms to the grocery area of the 153,000-square-foot store, which unbelievably didn't feel all that crowded on the inside. A table near the cafe stood covered with slivers of cakes, pies and other treats from the store's bakery. Smiling employees offered Dixie cups of soft-serve, and heaps of different cheeses were being sampled liberally toward the back of the warehouse.

Although store manager Justin Ferguson said he expected attendance to be strong, "this far exceeded our expectations," he said, looking around with excitement. He also admitted he was a bit nervous because he anticipated company CEO Jim Sinegal would be arriving soon; the company head attends every store opening, Ferguson said.

Tuesday's event at the membership club was for browsing only; the store opened Wednesday with a free continental breakfast. Those staking out Costco's offerings appeared to be a mix of people from all walks of life, and of all ages. Many roamed the store while reporting merchandise offerings and prices to friends or family who weren't "invited."

Holly Casavant-Triatik of Fitchburg stopped by the preview night with co-worker Jenny Leitz of Madison. Both received an invitation from their workplace, Wisconsin Mutual Insurance Co. The women were taken aback by the flock of curious shoppers and giggled at the idea of a cop directing traffic for a store opening. They do not have memberships and have shopped at Sam's Club, but they liked that Costco offered more upscale items while still keeping a nice variety of merchandise, they said.

Nintendo's Wii Fit was what perhaps sold Casavant-Triatik, she said. The store appeared to have hundreds of the wildly popular game for $79.99 at a time when it's hard to find it even online, especially at that price.

A walk through the aisles also revealed the following items for sale: a box holding three one-gallon jugs of organic milk, $9.59; a gallon of non-organic skim milk, $2.39; fresh farmed Atlantic salmon, $2.49 a pound; a 25-pound bag of jasmine rice, $16.99; a 36-piece sushi party platter, $11.99; a 2.5-pound bag of Victor Allen dark roast coffee beans, $16.69; the 4-gigabyte iPod Nano, $138.76; and the Wii System Bundle, $349.99.

Amy Mertz  —  8/23/2008 6:49 pm