Hi everyone. I joined Ciao in the early days and, now I'm back, am delighted to see it's still the s...
Hi everyone. I joined Ciao in the early days and, now I'm back, am delighted to see it's still the same great community. Spellings seem to have got worse though!
Member since:17.10.2000
Reviews:94
Members who trust:210
Makro is a wholesale club, like Costco. Unlike Costco, it's ownership seems to be British. It has been in Britain for many years and has built up quite a membership. It's not the place to do your weekly shop, but is the place to head for toys and presents.
Another thing that differentiates it from Costco is that it is not warehouse-like inside - although the exterior of its buildings tend to be like warehouses. Inside is clean, airy and well-lit. Staff are in smart uniforms (as opposed to boiler-suits or cover-alls) and are usually friendly and helpful.
Goods are priced EXCLUDING VAT, so if something looks cheap, bear in mind that there is 17.5% to go on top of it at the till.
In the good old days Makro was very cheap. It was a wholesaler, with prices much less than in the shops. Now, though, they have updated their image, gone a bit slick and it shows in the prices. They do have good offers, though, and it is worth keeping an eye on these. Recently, my husband and I bought a Logitech cordless keyboard and mouse for £47 (inc VAT) - almost half the price
of PC World.
Makro sell what they describe as 'Food' and 'Non-Food'. The food section is fascinating. Endless rows stacked floor-to-ceiling with crates, cartons and boxes. You can't buy single items here. If you want a tin of beans you have to buy 24. The exception to this is that some Makro stores have recently introduced greengrocery departments and/or fish stalls. I bought pineapples recently at 69p each. Can't comment on the fish as I'm vegetarian but I'm told it is reasonable.
In the non-food section you will find a large Business area selling PCs (average prices, some good offers occasionally) and accessories, software, telephones, fax machines, etc. Then there is a large entertainment section with a good range of CDs - chart and older, cheaper ones, books (not a great range, bestsellers only) and videos (quite a good range, lots of offers). There is always an excellent toy section. This is why we are still members, even though the prices have gone up generally. The toy section is brilliant. Our children love wandering up and down the large aisles making their Christmas lists. Toy prices are mostly a bit cheaper than in the shops and, again, there are terrific offers. There is a good DIY/tools section. Not great makes, apparently, but what they do have is fairly cheap. My husband says their tools are great for the odd-job-man, rather than serious do-it-yourselfers. He buys router bits there - they burn out easily but he doesn't mind because they are cheap. We got a good price on a good pressure washer which has lasted years.
Upstairs is always the clothing section. Again not a vast range but some interesting designs for women and good quality, reasonably-priced gear for men. Kids ranges aren't bad, we usually get winter coats there. It's a good place to buy snowsuits, as they are usually very reasonably-priced. There is a good footwear section with frequent offers. We always get trainers there - usually at £9.99 a pair (you can tell we're not serious athletes!). Even branded trainers can be regularly found on offer.
They used to have an excellent lighting department in our local branch, but this is being phased out now. The Sports section is good, with everything from golf balls (and clubs, bags, etc.,) to rowing machines. They generally have some good offers in the Summer on branded Sports clothes.
Does that all sound tempting? Now for the bad news. This is a difficult club to get into. It is intended for business-people, so you have to be either self-employed, a business-owner or high up in a company. If you fulfil those requirements, all you do is take in a letterhead and some recent invoices. They also like proof of identity/address, such as a utility bill in the company name.
If you don't fulfill those requirements, you can go in on a day pass. These cost £1. You are restricted as to what you can buy on a day pass, but it is definately worth it to have a look, especially if you are looking for Christmas toys and presents. You can also go in as a visitor with anyone who is a member. It is worth asking around.
Failing that, don't be too upset. Unless you live very close to a Makro and are able to pop in regularly to check for offers, you are unlikely to make big savings.
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VG op. I think Makro are a Dutch outfit, they certainly exist on the continent. I can't understand why they are so tight on letting people in. If Costco can do it for non-business people why not Makro. I think Makro got a fright when Costco showed up and it made them clean up their stores. I remember it pre-Costco and it was not a pretty sight. The regulations in this country need to be relaxed to let as many people as possible use these places. In America there is greater competition among the giant hypermarkets which helps keep prices down.
1234 15.01.2001 17:46
I used to go to Makro in Brazil (I am brazilian, but Uk resident), but reading your opinion would you be so kind in tell me where is Makro here?
Thank you.
Dec 11th, 2000
(Dec 10th, 2000)
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