Costco opens new Las Vegas store to huge crowds — PHOTOS
Costco mania was in full effect Thursday.
The popular members-only big-box retailer opened its newest location in Las Vegas to huge crowds Thursday morning. There were big lines of people waiting for the scheduled 8 a.m. opening, and inside, the store was still jammed with customers by around 9:15 a.m.
Its sprawling parking lot was packed with vehicles, and two Metropolitan Police Department motorcycle cops were helping with traffic control along the street at the entrance to the property.
Irene Cepeda, who grew up going to Costco with her family and remains a loyal customer, took a day off from work to check out the new store in the southwest valley.
“I love Costco,” she said.
Located on Buffalo Drive just south of the 215 Beltway, the 155,000-square-foot warehouse boasts hundreds of employees and thousands of different products, marketing materials said.
Costco, known as a place to buy household goods, food and other items, especially in bulk, has six locations in Southern Nevada.
The newly built Spring Valley store has the familiar vast array of offerings that Costco customers are used to, including electronics, cookware and clothing, as well as produce, meat, fish, rotisserie chicken, a bakery department, cases of bottled water, and much more.
Saw Lin and his girlfriend, Sohee Seo, live nearby and came to see the store and look for any opening-day deals.
Lin said he buys water, toilet paper and other items at Costco and normally heads to the store in Summerlin, about 10 miles away from the new location.
He figures he will visit the store on Buffalo at least once a week and spend a lot of money there.
Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft, whose district includes the store, said he arrived shortly before 7:30 a.m. for the grand opening and saw hundreds of people waiting to get in.
Some people told him they got there at 5:45 a.m., he added.
“It was huge,” he said.
Costco, based in Washington state, boasts 900-plus locations globally, including more than 600 across the United States.
Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342.