There are at least a few people who want to see what Costco is like in countries around the world:

As the retailer planted its flag in 13 foreign markets, its devoted American members have followed. Search online for Costco in Sweden or Taiwan, and you’ll find videos narrated in breathless wonder. Travelers hunt for regional souvenirs, soothe their homesickness and investigate a burning question: Is the hot dog different?…

Some may ask why Costco fans fly halfway across the planet to visit the same temple to excess they have back home. Their response: What better way to understand a culture than by seeing what locals buy in bulk?

“I’ll take the extra time and transportation to get to a Costco over standing in line for two hours to get into the Louvre,” said Tommy Breaux, a 66-year-old retiree in Houston who counts a suburban Paris location among his foreign conquests…

Tourists immediately notice that these international outlets are mostly carbon copies of home. The Iceland location might sell fish jerky, but the concrete floors, rotisserie chickens and stacks of Kirkland jeans scream Americana…

The setting also acts as a controlled environment for cultural anthropology. Back home in Elk Grove, Calif., Yip steels herself in the parking lot before braving the chaos. But in Japan and South Korea, she witnessed the impossible: orderly lines for food samples.

This story goes in a direction that is interesting to consider: what are the similarities and differences in Costco experiences in different countries? From what is described here, there are some differences – different products and brands, different ways that customers behave – but Costco is also about predictability: limited selection, bulk products, and some cheaper prices. This predictability is key to numerous American brands. Is Costco the embodiment of McDonaldization among big box stores?

I am more interested in why people are so devoted to Costco or similar brands. Is this much different than wanting to visit McDonald’s or Disney or other American brands/experiences around the globe? How do these brand attachments develop and how are they sustained? The article hints it is about prices but Costco is not just about prices; it provides a particular experience and aesthetic and status. It is is not just a store or a brand; could it be a lifestyle or an identity?

Perhaps this is just life in the twenty-first century. In a world of consumerism, brands, and tourism, visiting the Costco locations around the world is possible.