Benefits
We believe the development of a Costco Wholesale warehouse in this location will deliver a number of benefits for the local community and economy.
Economic growth
This will be the first Costco in Kent, providing services to businesses in Maidstone and surrounding areas, and reducing the need for lengthy road journeys to our existing warehouses in Croydon and Thurrock.
We support a wide range of small/medium businesses, including independent retailers, food and drink outlets and independently owned hotels, meaning we will deliver a boost to the local economy and business confidence in the county.
Independent surveys have shown that small businesses with Costco memberships can use Costco’s lower prices to remain competitive and increase profitability, which can in turn lead to sustained or enhanced levels of employment and business growth.
Creating new jobs
Our warehouse will create both direct and indirect jobs for local residents. Typically, on opening, a warehouse employs 180 people, rising to at least 250 within three years as the business matures.
On average, just over half the jobs (approximately 52%) are full-time, while part-time employees are guaranteed a minimum of 24 hours work per week. We do not have zero-hour contracts.
The unique nature of Costco’s operation is reflected in the broad range of quality jobs offered. Positions range from entry level jobs, which provide a point of entry for those with little or no qualifications or training, to craft and operative jobs for which specialist training is given. Costco has a bakery, butchery, service deli and cafe, as well as a tyre fitting centre – all alongside the broad range of merchandise. The warehouse needs clerical and secretarial staff, sales staff such as cashiers, plant and machinery operators and many more. There are also a number of management positions, including General Managers, Heads of Department and Supervisors.
It is company policy to recruit locally wherever possible and then to retain, train and promote from within. Over 90% of Costco’s current managers are ‘home grown’, having worked their way up from hourly paid positions.
All positions offered by Costco pay significantly above the National Minimum Wage and also exceed the National Living Wage. In addition to competitive wage rates, Costco also offers substantial employee benefits.
Indirect employment
As well as impacting those directly employed by Costco, an opening of a new warehouse will also have significant indirect benefits to the local area.
There will be employment opportunities during the construction process and the subsequent servicing and maintenance of the Costco building and site. This will give rise to opportunities for locally based businesses such as landscape and building maintenance, plumbers and electricians.
Each Costco Wholesale warehouse also hires part time demonstration staff for our products via a third party agency.