Costco Vs. Wal-Mart

Austin, Texas-based liberal commentator Jim Hightower notes in yesterday's radio commentary that Costco Warehouse stores pay employees much better than Wal-Mart and Sams Club, to the disappointment of some Wall Street commentators. Nevertheless, Costco is a big money-maker.

(Note: Jim Hightower will be speaking and signing copies of his new, perfectly timed book "Let's Stop Beating Around the Bush", next Thursday, July 22nd, at 7:00 PM at the Webster University Winifred Moore Auditorium. Tickets are $10. Sponsored by FM 88.1 KDHX St. Louis Community Radio and Left Bank Books.)

Costco currently has two locations in the St. Louis metro area - in St. Peters and South St. Louis County.

With Sams Club abandoning St. Louis Marketplace and the City of St. Louis for the greener pastures of the new Maplewood development, maybe Costco could be persuaded to locate in the City proper?

Two potential sites might be:

Hampton at I-44, current site of MSD equipment storage and the City Street Department.

SLAAP, the former St. Louis Army Ammunition Plant at I-70 and Goodfellow.