Wholesale giant Costco recently introduced exclusive shopping hours, starting at 9 a.m., for the club’s Executive members. The move followed a $10 price increase for Executive memberships, from $120 to $130 annually, and a $5 increase for Gold Star members.
Shoppers are generally happy with the club’s decisions in recent years, including expanded gas station hours and maintaining the $1.50 hot dog and soda pricing. But nothing, not even our beloved Costco, is perfect. Some Costco superfans shared ideas for additional perks that would make their membership even more worthwhile.
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Curbside Pickup
Several Costco fans voiced a desire for curbside pickup services.
“Typically, when my girlfriend and I go to Costco, we’re looking for very specific things. Not that it’s not fun to browse the new stuff, but … If they had curbside pickup, that would be really great [because] Costco is always busy no matter when you go,” Devin Boudreaux, a public relations professional and Costco superfan who frequently shops at the Boise, Idaho, location, said.
It turns out, the club tried curbside pickup in 2021 through a partnership with Instagram, but canceled it due to lack of interest. Shoppers can still get delivery through Instacart, albeit with added fees.
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Costco Catering
If you could order food court items through curbside pickup, that would be even better, Boudreaux pointed out. That led to the next potential perk: pizza delivery or even full-on Costco catering. “I love getting their premade fresh dinners,” Boudreaux said.
Prepared items like the Kirkland Signature mac and cheese, St. Louis ribs and chicken alfredo are large enough to feed a crowd and Costco also sells special-order party platters, special occasion cakes and other desserts. Costco could supply plates and plasticware, too. Although the website doesn’t list Sterno racks and trays as an item available, it wouldn’t be a stretch to rely on Costco for all your party needs, delivered straight to your door and set up by a team.
Preferred/Executive Parking
Considering those crowds in the Boise Costco parking lot once again, Boudreaux suggested parking spots reserved for Executive members.
“The parking is terrible,” he said. “It would be cool if they had some sort of tiered system around parking — designed VIP spots.”
Scan and Go Checkout
Another way to streamline the Costco experience is already in the works, and the fan response has been positive so far, according to Costco CEO Ron Vachris during an earnings call, widely reported by multiple sources.
The company is piloting “scan-and-go” technology similar to the Scan & Go system at Sam’s Club. When he learned of the development, Boudreaux responded with a resounding, “Yessss!”
Expanded Automotive Services
Not everyone is a fan of Costco’s expanded hours for Executive members only or other perks that could divide the membership. “I’m morally opposed to tiered access to things,” Dave Norman, author of “Following Josh” and several other titles, who frequently shops at the Scarborough, Maine, Costco, said.
He suggested a few added services that could benefit all members: discounted oil changes and vehicle inspections in states that mandate them. “Tires are great,” he said, but suggested “an unbiased inspection by an entity that has nothing to gain from finding problems because they do not fix problems.”
Norman also proposed an automotive detailing service to complement the Costco Auto Program and tire services.
“[Imagine] a service that gets your car detailed in the 45 minutes it takes to careen heedlessly through the liquor and frozen seafood aisles,” he suggested. Ah, it has to be any Costco shopper’s true dream.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Perks Costco Fans Say Would Make the Membership More Valuable
