TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Costco on Friday opened its new Kaohsiung store, replacing its original location after 29 years and becoming the retailer's largest warehouse in Taiwan.
The new Kaohsiung Asia New Bay Area store on Zhike Road in Qianzhen District opened one day after the Zhonghua store closed permanently on Thursday night, per Mirror Media. The retailer said opening promotions will be rolled out in phases through Aug. 30 to reduce crowding rather than concentrating discounts on the first day.
Costco said members can view each phase of promotional offers through its mobile app. The first round of savings includes a limited-time NT$10,000 (US$341) discount on selected Samsung monitors.
The retailer also launched a free shuttle bus service from Friday through Aug. 2 to help manage expected traffic congestion around the new store, Mirror Media reported. Buses will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. between MRT Sanduo Shopping District Station and both the new store and the former Zhonghua store, with the parking lot at the old branch remaining temporarily open for park-and-ride use.
The warehouse overlooks Kaohsiung Harbor and is now Costco's largest store in Taiwan, covering about 14,000 ping (16,667 square meters), per Liberty Times. It also has the country's largest Costco parking capacity, with 1,010 car spaces and 400 scooter spaces, while a gas station is planned for the site.
Traffic around the new warehouse is expected to be particularly heavy because of nearby events at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center and the Kaohsiung Beer Rock Festival, per SET News. Costco urged shoppers to use public transportation or the shuttle service where possible.
