Costco officials estimate that 7,000 customers spent $1.5 million on opening day at the new store in The Villages.
Looking at the parking lot, they were probably right on the money.
People were in line at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday at the new store which opened at 8 a.m. at Buffalo Ridge Plaza.
By 7:30 a.m., long lines of customers stretched down both sides of the store. The 700 parking spots at Costco were full. There were more than 100 golf carts parked on the grass. More cars spilled over into the parking lot of Hobby Lobby.
Tim and Luana Nelson, who live in the Village of Denham, were pleased that the new Costco has opened in The Villages as they have been members for more than 20 years. Tim Nelson was sold on Costco when he had purchased a small drone from Costco when he lived in Texas. When he first flew the drone it would not respond to the controls and disappeared over a large lake near Dallas. He told his wife he was going to take the receipt along with the box and control unit to Costco. His goal was to get a replacement or refund. His wife said there was “no way” that Costco would compensate him for the loss. Costco replaced the drone and Nelson has been a loyal customer ever since. They had been traveling to the Costco in Clermont.
Sherry Johnson of Wildwood along with her daughter Taylor braved the crowd to fill their grocery cart to the brim. Johnson said that she loves Costco because “they have every thing you need at great affordable pricing.”…