ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – They call themselves Costco superfans, and it’s their mission to visit one Costco in every state and one in every country. Their stop this week was in Albuquerque.
“We’ve always loved Costco. In fact, when we started dating, we realized that we had that in common,” said David Schwartz, co-author of “The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z”.
David and his wife, Susan Schwartz, are from New York and take their Costco membership very seriously. That membership has now taken them around the world. “It’s always the same company, but it’s always a little different,” said David Schwartz.
Story continues below
- New Mexico: New Mexico lawmaker looks to boost substance use recovery services in the U.S.
- Crime: Alamogordo police charge man for October road rage shooting
- Albuquerque: Albuquerque officials describe challenges of cleaning homeless camps during injunction
- Local: Los Lunas Village Council postpones decision on Niagara Bottling expansion
David is a seasoned author and in 2016, after finishing a book on physicist Enrico Fermi, he was looking for something else to write about. “I was talking to Susan about this and at one point during the conversation she blurts out, ‘you know we could write a book together about Costco. We love the place. We’ve traveled the world. We could find out all about the company and tell all the other members about it,’” said David Schwartz.
In September, their book “The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z” was published. The couple said it took seven years to write. “Costco is inherently modest, and I mean really modest. It took us two years to even meet Craig and Jim the CEO and surviving co-founder. And then another three years before we convinced them we were going to write the book,” said Susan Schwartz.
The couple said their book was denied by 22 publishers, that’s why they created their own publishing company. The pages are filled with Costco history, detailing its expansion around the globe and fun facts about the company.
The couple mentioned they are not paid by Costco. Rather this is simply their fan-love letter. Costco has more than 850 locations worldwide. They added that they’ve traveled 220 thousand miles around the world including 13 countries.
“Yes, your Costco membership card gets you in around the world. It’s fantastic.” Said Susan Schwartz. Out of the 46 states that have Costco, they’ve been to at least 1 location in each state. They also said they’ve been to more than 200 of the warehouses.
Right now, the couple is on a cross-country tour promoting their book and hitting up Costco’s wherever they go. They say each store has a different regional flavor.
Albuquerque is one of their favorite stops along the way. Here in Albuquerque, they tried Creamland Green Chile Dip for the first time. “Here in New Mexico obviously a lot of chiles, a lot of southwestern food. It’s a treasure hunt from A to Z. When you walk in you have no idea what you might find,” said Susan Schwartz.
Some of the fun facts included in the book are that Costco sells half of the world’s cashews, and the Costco location in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has a space for horse and buggy parking.
Their book is being sold at bookstores stores, on digital platforms, and yes, even on the book table at Costco. They say if the book doesn’t work out, they are considering getting a job at their favorite store.
