Warehouse reels in out-of-towners

Turns out it wasn't only Sarasota residents who clamored for Costco, the popular bulk quantities warehouse.

Scott Christensen, the local store manager, says the chain received at least 400 transfer requests from current Costco employees worldwide who sought a job at the Sarasota store. “They came from the West Coast, the Northeast, Puerto Rico and all points in between,” says Christensen.

The 145,000-square-foot store, at the Sarasota Square Mall in south Sarasota County, opened Aug. 17. Speaking at a recent Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce event honoring local businesses, Christensen reported the store received 4,000 job applications in total. The 180 jobs were broken down 50-50: Half went to local applicants, while half went to employees within the company to fill specific experience positions.

Christensen adds that Costco, which doesn't disclose individual store sales, has exceeded expectations with the Sarasota location. Sales so far are 15% over budget, and the store has signed up 19,000 members since August — a record for new Costco openings in the Southeast region. Says Christensen: “We look forward to increasing those numbers.”