This Costco Fan Received A Hilarious Christmas Painting
There are Costco shoppers, Costco fans, and then, there are Costco superfans. You can find them on social media, obsessing over their latest finds, as exampled by @costcobuys and @Costco_doesitagain on Instagram. The r/Costco subreddit has 170,000 followers.
There's something about Costco that even attracts those who can afford to shop anywhere. Mark Zuckerberg, Lana Del Rey, Kris Jenner, Bethenny Frankel, and Bruce Willis are among the warehouse store's devotees (via Business Insider). But it's the everyday shoppers that make up Costco's superfan base. While other warehouse clubs, like B.J.'s and Sam's Club, follow a similar format, Costco has somehow developed a cult-like following. Why?
In a 2019 CNBC article, Costco's senior vice president of financial planning and investor relations, Bob Nelson, said that part of Costco's customer loyalty is owed to its commitment to offering the best, highest quality items in each category. This includes popular Kirkland foods and fashion buys from names like Coach and Marc Jacobs. Eat This, Not That! asked Costco shoppers why they love the store. They cited great prices, bulk buys, novel and holiday offerings, free samples, and the company's fairness to its employees. There's also a "je ne sais quoi" quality about Costco. It's linked to prestige: shopping at Costco says you are in on the newest trends and the best products.
While we don't know what sparked Costco superfan and Redditor u/thysteffi's love affair with the Seattle-based retailer, his friends found a way to celebrate his fandom with a fantastic and artistic Christmas present.
Costco's 'Patron Saint'
Redditor and Costco superfan u/thysteffi posted a photo on the r/Costco subreddit of a great holiday gift his friends commissioned. The painting hilariously portrays u/thysteffi as "The Patron Saint of Savings." He's holding his Costco membership card as well as a Costco Food Court hotdog. There's a halo hovering above u/thysteffi's head, and he's wearing one of Costco's hottest items of 2021, the (Diplo-approved) Kirkland Signature sweatshirt.
Commenters on the page loved the painting. "Now this is a gift!," and "This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen," said two followers. An envious follower admitted, "I'm so disappointed in my friends. Well played." Another quipped, "I used to think Trader Joe's was a cult." One fan commented about the huge quantities they always end up buying: "Should read Patron Saint of Spending, because that's what we do at Costco." Another appreciated the painter's talent. "I really hope the artist benefits well from this exposure. Jokes aside, that's some legit skill."
Another follower loved the painting so much they suggested it should be the "New thumbnail for the sub!" Our favorite exchange, however, was "Wow. Slow clap. Great execution. I would love to find this at an estate sale in a hundred years." To this, the OP predicted: "It'll be haunted by the ghost of all the hot dogs and pizza I ate."
While "The Patron Saint of Savings" might not land a place in a museum, this gift is clearly beautiful in the eye of Costco superfans.