Cost Plus World Market is a one-stop shopping destination to find goods from all over the World. The first store was opened in 1958 when a traveling business man found that people were eager to purchase items he brought back from his travels. Items were sold at cost, plus 10% – hence the store name Cost Plus World Market.
World Market is one of my favorite places to shop for home goods, coffee and gourmet foods, wine, gifts and decorative items because of the unique selection and low cost. While the items are priced competitively, they also offer a program called World Market Explorer Rewards Program that helps members save even more money on purchases with perks and rewards.
Becoming a World Market Explorer Rewards member is free and simple. You can sign up in store or on the World Market Explorer Rewards website. Each time you make a purchase at a Cost Plus World Market store, you’ll enter your 10-digit member number into the keypad (while you can choose your own member number, it is suggested that you use your phone number to make it easy to remember and they don’t use the number to contact you or sell). All of the coupons and promotions will be sent to you by email and available in your member account on the Explorer website to print at your convenience.
World Market Explorers are offered a variety of discounts throughout the year, as well as a $10 off $10 coupon for your birthday. They often issue $10 off of $30 coupons, 10% off of your entire purchase and special member-only discounts on items in store and online. The store lately has been posting $5 off coupons on its Facebook page.
My favorite part of the program is the Coffee Rewards. Purchase six 12-ounce or larger bags of World Market Coffee in store or online and you’ll get a coupon for a FREE 12-ounce bag. Plan your coffee shopping trip on a Wednesday because you’ll receive two credits for each bag of coffee that you buy on Wake Up Wednesdays. The prices for 12-ounce bags of coffee range from $5.99 to $9.99, so if you purchase three bags of coffee at $5.99 each on any given Wednesday, you’ll have spent $17.97 and you’ll receive a coupon for a free bag of coffee. Each bag will average out to cost $4.49 – which is less than you’ll pay for any specialty coffee in the grocery store. You can combine this deal with any coupons that they send you, so you can usually score coffee for even less. A few times a year, they offer a Buy 1, Get 1 free sale on coffee, plus you earn your Coffee Rewards, and you can use a store coupon.
If you’re a foodie or like international food, the Gourmet Rewards will suit you well. Once you spend $100 in the gourmet department, you’ll receive a $10 coupon to spend in store or online. The gourmet section features spices, candy, baking items, sauces, pasta, snacks and more. I purchase most of my spices here for $1 to $2 per bag and pour them into reusable glass spice jars, which they also sell for around $1 each. Spices cost way more than that in the grocery store, plus they carry Chipotle Chili Powder, which is my favorite spice.
The best part of the World Market Explorer’s program is the simplicity. You don’t have to carry a card for them to scan or punch – you just use your phone number and remember to print out your coupons. If you’re a World Market Explorer, what’s your favorite part about the program? What other stores have good rewards programs?