Costco takes another bite of the Big Apple with new Manhattan unit

NEW YORK —Costco opened its first store in Manhattan on Nov. 12, in Spanish Harlem. Though the store is the fourth in New York City—following stores in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island—Costco had to make a lot of changes to fit the store into such a tightly packed area.

“It’s a challenge relative to the size,” Costco CEO Jim Sinegal told Drug Store News. “We had to crowd a lot in and configure it differently.”

The store has many of the products and departments familiar to Costco shoppers, including a pharmacy, but it had to forgo products that would not suit most New Yorkers, such as patio furniture and giant bags of pet food.

“We’ve probably come down a little bit on the bulk items,” EVP and CFO Richard Galanti told Drug Store News. “With that exception, we’re trying to offer the full breadth and depth of what we typically offer.”

In terms of the pharmacy, the store’s location has led it to serve the neighborhood’s many Spanish-speaking inhabitants. “One of the things we do is have plenty of Spanish-speaking employees,” regional pharmacy manager for the Northeast Tom Drougas said. “That’s always a plus.”

As required by law, the pharmacy also has Language Line, a service that allows speakers of numerous languages to receive translation services from trained staff over the telephone. Customers also can consult with staff through the pharmacy’s patient consultation window or in the private consultation room, which includes a DVD player allowing patients to watch videos about disease states.

Despite the slightly smaller size, the store mostly is the same as others in the chain, including in terms of prices. “I think that’s a novelty for Manhattan, right there,” Sinegal said.

According to published reports, Costco plans to open another store in Queens next year.