Last weekend when my family was shopping at Costco, one of the free sample lines caused a jam in the shopping cart. It was the new Bibigo Korean-Style Crispy Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Sauce, featured in this month's Costco coupon book (it's $4.50 off!).
I got in line. If there's one thing Costco shoppers can't resist, it's getting free samples and weighing whether to take advantage of the small window of opportunity to avoid paying full price for an item.
When Business Insider reported last year that the average Costco shopper was a married Asian-American woman between the ages of 35 and 44, it seemed to draw attention to me. My husband (also Asian American) is an even bigger Costco stalwart. He loves visiting warehouses in different cities because inventory varies from place to place. Are we a Costco stereotype?
As the Lunar New Year approaches on February 10 and some Costco locations begin offering Year of the Dragon alcohol, desserts and even gold, my LA Times colleagues and I have been wondering: What are the More Asian Costcos in Southern California? And how did Costco become so successful in Asian American communities?
Please help us in our investigation by completing the form below by January 18. Tell us about the products you've seen on display and any other stories or anecdotes you'd like to share.
J Way Taiwan Boba Milk Tea and Wangloaji Herbal Tea at Costco.
(Ada Tseng)
