99 ranch

Kokuho Rose Extra Fancy Rice

Pay attention to the quantity, not just the price. At first glance, I thought Costco was selling Kokuho Rice at a higher price than 99 Ranch. After all, a 20 lb. bag of rice doesn’t look too different from a 25 lb. bag of rice, especially when both bags are not next to each other.

So, Costco is selling a 25 lb. bag of Kokuho Rose Extra Fancy Rice for $20.99, or $0.840 per pound.

99 Ranch sells a 20 lb. bag of Kokuho Rose Extra Fancy Rice for $16.99, or $0.850. So, for 20 pounds of rice, 99 Ranch charges about 20 cents more for the entire bag of rice. Not a whole lot, but still more than Costco.

Asian Food at Costco

Costco sells an expanding mix of Asian foods. In addition to Ling Ling potstickers and jasmine rice, I have also seen edamame, shrimp won ton soup, and steamed pork buns. During my latest visit, I spotted a 32 ounce bottle of Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce for $6.89.

So, how competitive is the cost of Asian food at Costco compared that from an Asian supermarket?

99 Ranch sells an 18 ounce bottle of Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce for $3.99, or $0.222 per ounce. The Costco per ounce price is $0.215. To be fair, I should be looking at the price of the 32 ounce bottle at 99 Ranch, but I could not find it stocked on their shelves. I could only find a large bottle of the LKK Panda Brand Oyster Sauce at 99 Ranch.

Milk at 99 Ranch

99 Ranch sells all varieties of Berkeley milk for $3.79 per gallon.

I can taste the difference between different brands of ice cream and yogurt, but milk is pretty much milk to me. So, one gallon of homogenized milk for $3.79 at 99 Ranch or two gallons for $3.99 at Costco? Even if you cannot finish a gallon in a week, two gallons at Costco seems to be the way to go.