Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Central Pa. Costco shoppers that hate big crowds might be in luck this week. With all of the fanfare centered around the Silver Spring Township warehouse club’s opening, shoppers at the Harrisburg area’s only other Costco might see some relief in the form of shorter lines. The store at 5125 Jonestown Road in Lower Paxton Township can be extremely busy, especially on weekends. It has been in operation since 2001. But as shoppers flock to the new Costco to check out its inventory, including specialty sale items, it’s likely to ease some of the congestion at the other location. Ken Lemen, general manager at the Silver Spring Township Costco, said anytime a new store opens, it eases the pressure at Costco’s other nearby stores. “What will happen is there is a process called cannibalism,” he said. “This store will cannibalize somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of Harrisburg’s business.” So at least for the next couple of days and weeks, shoppers at the Lower Paxton Township store can expect an easier time navigating the aisles. For years, Lemen said, shoppers had been requesting Costco to open a store in Cumberland County. Sales data from the Lower Paxton Township store also helped drive Costco’s decision to build. “We knew that there were a lot of people who came from the West Shore zip codes who would probably shop a lot more if there was one on the West Shore,” Lemen said. Built across the Carlisle Pike from Cumberland Valley High School, the new Costco has one of the largest footprints in the region at 161,163 square feet. It took about 18 months to construct the store. Amenities include gas pumps, a tire center, a food court, meat and produce departments, a bakery, pharmacy and an optical center. Costco is selling exclusive items for the store opening. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Oct. 30.
