Insider Details About Costco That Every Shopper Should Know

The very first Costco, at the time called Price Club, opened its doors in 1976. Six old airplane hangars once owned by Howard Hughes were used, and it's still open today.

People love Costco, and memberships keep growing by leaps and bounds. In 2021, 111.6 million people were registered members. That’s a whole lotta bulk buying going on!

According to those in the know, weekdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m are Costco’s quietest times because most people are on the road. That gives you a free run to the latest deals and you won’t have to wait in line!

In the early days of Costco, items weren't even taken out of their boxes and displayed on shelves and tables. In true warehouse form, everything was just sitting in stacks on top of palettes.

As huge as the Costco buildings are, the stores actually sell less merchandise than other big-box stores. While 4,000 pieces of merchandise might sound like a lot, Walmarts typically sell over 100,000 products.

When shopping at Costco, take a close look at the prices — specifically the ones that end in a nine. Products that have price tags ending in .49, .79 or .89 cents are likely to represent the manufacturer’s original discount. In other words, the Costco price will probably be more competitive than those you’ll find elsewhere.

Members of Costco’s workforce have revealed a secret: if you’re strapped for cash, avoid items at the store entrance. They’re usually the most costly. Instead, head for the warehouse’s heart because, as a general rule, these displays offer the largest savings. This tip would save you both time and money!

If an item you’ve bought gets reduced within 30 days of your purchase, Costco’s actually got you covered. The wholesaler is prepared to offer store credit for the difference between the two amounts. The result? You have more cash saved, and you don’t have to kick yourself. Sounds like a good deal to us!

Costco, like any business, wants to save as much money as possible as often as it can, so it does things like pack merchandise into old boxes and install skylights to save on electricity during sunny days.

Although most things at Costco require a membership to purchase, you can get away with buying food so long as the food court is outdoors. Some states also require the pharmacy to accept anyone's business.

If you're looking for a cheap lunch, you can shell out $1.50 for a hot dog and 20-ounce soda — with free refills, we might add. The price has been that way for 30 years, and Costco has no plans on ever changing it.

Ah, that dreaded feeling when the ink in your printer runs out. Fear not, though. Costco sells both new cartridges and a cheaper alternative — one that’s much better for the environment. You can refill your empty ink for a fraction of the price you’d pay for a new one. That’s one less plastic container in landfill sites!

Costco’s basic joining fee is $60, but there’s a “Gold Star Executive” membership that’s double that. This upgraded version could offer additional savings of up to $1,000 a year, depending on how much you’re spending. And if you realize an upgraded membership isn’t for you, you can simply get a refund!

More than one person in a household shopping at Costco could get expensive. That’s why the company has provided every member with a “spouse card.” But the spouse card isn’t just for significant others. You can also give it to another family member provided they’re aged 18 or over and live with you.

Costco is the place to buy tech. Not only does it offer two years’ warranty on items, but it also has something called a concierge service for all its members. This is basically a free technical support hotline to save you potential repair hassle. It’s available from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day — holidays notwithstanding — in both English and Spanish.

Costco’s store brand, Kirkland Signature, is named after the city of Kirkland, Washington, where the retailer’s headquarters were located from 1987 to 1998. Now, the offices are in Issaquah, Washington.

Costco takes care of its customers, but it also knows the importance of treating employees well. Hourly wages can reach $21, and roughly 85 percent of workers have health insurance, which is way more than Walmart or Target.

One of Costco's biggest sellers is its rotisserie chicken — and for good reason. A three-pound chicken costs $4.99, which is cheaper than anywhere else. It could easily increase the price by a little and make millions more every year, but it does right by its hungry customers.

There are a few reasons why a Costco worker would want to scan their eyes over your receipt as you leave the store. Don’t just assume they’re checking up on you. They may want to check you’ve not been overcharged for your items, for a start. And it’s also a good way for the company to keep tabs on its stock levels.

Did you know that some Kirkland-label products are actually made by the same manufacturers as big brands? Its batteries, for example, are created by Duracell. So even though the products have another name on the packaging, there’s no difference in quality. Plus, the price is significantly more affordable.

Spend more than $35 dollars on fresh food — including your groceries — and you’re entitled to one-day delivery for free. Providing you live in a metropolitan area, that is. Alternatively, Costco delivers household supplies or non-perishables in two days if you spend $75 dollars or more. What a time saver!

Although there’s nothing wrong with wandering into Costco to see what’s on sale, it pays to plan ahead. End-of-season sales are a good example. You can pick up some great bargains when Costco clears out stock at the end of a seasonal period. Visit after Christmas for next year’s festive purchases, or at the end of summer for warm-weather purchases.

Sure, Costco might not be the first place that springs to mind when you're craving a slice of pizza, but the retailer is actually the 15th largest pizza chain in the country. It even has more locations than the popular California Pizza Kitchen!

A lot of people eat the pizza at Costco, so naturally, it needs to pump pies out quickly to keep up with the demand. The machine the company uses stretches the dough, adds the sauce, bakes, and finally churns out pies in less than one minute.

The medical experts at Costco check your blood sugar to screen for diabetes and have a selection of heart disease tests — all for free. They also use ultrasound to detect possible signs of osteoporosis. All you have to do is head to your Costco on the scheduled date and time and provide a small blood sample for testing.

If you want to get someone a gift card for their birthday, Costco should be your first port of call. In some cases, you might even pick up gift cards with a higher dollar value than the sum you pay. Ka-Ching!

Most of the people who run the free-sample stands scattered throughout Costco aren’t actually employees of the retailer. Most of them work for Warehouse Demo Services and Club Demonstration Services, and they’re on a different payroll entirely.

Any sales are applied automatically when you take your items through the Costco checkouts. So don’t feel the need to cram your hands, pockets, or handbags full of offer leaflets unless you really want them!

Obviously, a place that sells anything you can imagine has a stockpile of bacon. How good is Costco’s own Kirkland Signature bacon? Consumer Reports found people enjoy the taste of it over most other brands. Plus, it’s cheaper than most as well, so eat up!

If you spot a little star on the top-right of the price tag, it signifies that the product in question has a limited stock and won’t be re-ordered when it’s gone. And according to the Consumerist website, it also means the marked item is at its lowest price. So stock up quickly before it leaves the shelves!

With such a lenient returns policy it’s inevitable that Costco will get many returns. The ones that are in decent condition will return to the shelves. Sometimes, though, the given product will have been discontinued. You can find them at a reduced cost, so look out for these bargains the next time you visit.

Cash cards can have a value of anything from $10 to $100 dollars. All you need is a friend with a Costco membership to get one for you. So if you’ve never visited the wholesaler before and want to try it for yourself, this is your best bet. And if nothing else, at least you can grab some bargains while the card lasts.

How exactly is Costco able to sell hot dogs at such a low price? It’s certainly not schlepping in name brands. It actually makes its own hot dogs and serves up about 100 million every year!

Did you know Costco also prints a free monthly magazine for its members? And incredibly, The Costco Connection is the largest monthly magazine circulated in the United States.

Take advantage of those free samples. Costco actually encourages this and tells vendors to give out unlimited supplies. And according to lifestyle website Kitchn in 2018, if you want the best selection you’ll have to brave the busy weekends. That’s when the samples in kiosks have the most variety.