Lined up outside the front door of the new Costco Wholesale in Amherst stand hundreds of never-before-used shopping carts, gleaming in the bright sun, waiting for the same moment as J.B. Swiger.
"I can't wait to cut that ribbon," said Swiger, the store's general manager, talking about Wednesday's grand opening. For years, folks having been driving along Ridge Lea Road, looking over at the piece of swampland next to I-290 ("the 290"), waiting for it to become one of the most anticipated retail spots in recent Western New York memory.
"Everywhere I go, if somebody asks me where I work and they see my Costco shirt, it just starts a deep conversation about Costco and how we can't wait," said Swiger. "There's enthusiasm here, like Josh Allen scored a touchdown."
While that might be an overstatement — it's pretty close to the excitement level some shoppers are feeling.
"People already know watching TikTok blow up about Costco items," said Swiger. "Some influencer puts it out there, and next thing you know, it's gone."
TikTok and influencers aside, there are two items Swiger knows bargain-hungry Buffalonians will be making a beeline for: hot dogs and rotisserie chicken. He said Costco has pallets of hot dogs, which sell for $1.50 at the snack stand, and chickens, which sell hot and ready for $4.99.
For Costco, these items represent more than just a quick bargain.
"Our company wants to show that value," said Swiger. "They've built a hot dog plant where they make the hot dogs themselves to keep that price."
And it's the value, he said, which makes the annual membership fee worth it. Members see savings on not just grocery items, but gas, tires, eyeglasses, hearing aids and prescriptions. That Buffalo sees the value in the bargain prices offered at Costco has made its way up the corporate ladder. Costco has also inquired about a parcel of land at the old Seneca Mall site for another store.
"Our senior management is well aware of upstate New York now. They're adding several locations over the next two-to-four years, two-to-five years," said Swiger.
More than anything, Swiger said he's personally proud of his store and excited to serve the people of the Northtowns and all of Western New York.
"I'm thrilled," he said. "I've been working (at Costco) for 31 years, started as a cart pusher, worked my way up to this position, and this has been the highlight of my career."
