10 Little Improvements Costco Customers Think Would Make It Significantly Better

Shoppers love Costco for its low prices and bulk-sized staples, but there are plenty of things that would make the shopping experience better. While the issues aren’t bad enough to convince customers to shop somewhere else, they can be frustrating or annoying.

Here are 10 little improvements that could make each Costco shopping trip better as you find ways to get more out of your Costco membership.

Websites and apps are non-negotiable to many customers, and while Costco has them, they could be more functional. One problem shoppers notice is they don’t always show accurate product availability, and the online price is often different than the in-store price. Plus, the platforms have issues that don’t allow users to navigate well.

Reddit users vent about these problems often, with Xdozex detailing, “Drives me nuts that the site does not reflect the in-store experience at all. Not allowing us to log in, check stock, purchase items to pick up in person, or even just a simple thing like paying the same price online and in-store is a bit nuts.”

Curbside pickup makes grocery shopping much more convenient for many people. Plus, it means fewer shoppers searching the aisles for what they need. One Reddit user, youngbloodhalfalive, vented, "I always hated going into Costco and wading through all the people to find everything I want and then having to wait in the longest of lines imaginable."

With Sam’s Club offering curbside pickup, customers are more than ready for Costco to implement it, too. Costco may avoid this option, though, because it means those customers won’t pick up impulse purchases while wandering around the store.

Many people go to Costco to stock up on items so they can avoid shopping as frequently. But, sometimes, there are purchase limits and low availability of essentials like eggs. They also may have to purchase these items in separate lines, further inconveniencing shoppers.

Like many stores, Costco frequently moves items they know people will look for. It leads to shoppers having to walk through every aisle during their shopping trip, which is a marketing tactic to encourage impulse buys.

On a Reddit thread about Costco, user fingerlickinFC vented, “Moving things around and rearranging the store constantly doesn’t make it feel like a ‘treasure hunt’ - it’s just annoying.”

Produce should be fresh and delicious, but Costco often doesn’t offer the best options. You may have to shop at another store for your produce, so it’s best to plan for that. One Reddittor with the username mortfred, explained, “The produce is often not very high quality (or was picked too early) and also not a value relative to conventional grocery stores.”

Long checkout lines can mean the savings and the bulk shopping isn’t worth it for some people. Even those loyal to Costco get discouraged by waiting so long for their turn at the checkout. A little improvement at Costco that could go a long way is introducing “scan and go,” a feature that many other stores already have.

With this feature, customers can scan their items as they shop and pay on the app, skipping the long checkout lines. Customers get an option for quicker service, but the checkout lines get shorter the more shoppers use "scan and go."

Costco offers many products, but they don’t stock as many items as similar stores like Sam’s Club and BJ’s. Customers would enjoy having more items to choose from and being able to find pantry must-haves. One Redditor, Expensive-Day-3551, explained, “I’ve found that they don’t have staple items that I always used to buy, like chili powder.”

You’d think with Costco’s strategy of constantly moving products, they’d have bigger and better signs to help you find what you need. But, right now, their signs are small and sometimes hard to spot when you’re walking through the store.

Some Costco stores have changed their food court seating so that there are only standing tables. Standing to eat isn’t unreasonable to some people, but it can make you feel rushed into eating quickly and leaving. Plus, those who need to sit down or can’t reach the taller tables don’t have an option.

One Reddit user, badFishTu, said, “I am ambulatory but cannot always walk or stand too long. I very much look forward to sitting down for just a moment at the end of my trip.” Another Redditor, JoshuaPearce, responded, “I'm a normal amount of healthy, and I want to sit down to eat too. Sometimes I just want to take a break after walking through depressing aisles for an hour.”

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Costco could do plenty of things to manage the crowds, from implementing curbside pickup to leaving items where customers know to find them. Making it easier for shoppers to quickly get what they need and move on rather than wasting time searching can ease the entire process.

Other ideas for better crowd management include smaller shopping carts, early shopping for certain members, and “scan-and-go” technology. Another consideration that not everyone will enjoy is eliminating free samples to avoid congestion in those areas.

Even for those loyal to Costco, there are some little improvements they could make to improve the shopping experience. Listening to what their customers want could help Costco make their shoppers happy. They could provide value and help customers save more on everyday essentials while leaving you and other shoppers happy.

Did you know you can buy a car, book a vacation, or sign up for insurance through your Costco membership benefits? You can find deals while shopping that you never would have expected.