12 Changes Shoppers Are Begging Costco To Make

The Costco shopping experience is struggling to keep up with the needs of modern consumers, and some complaints are becoming so standard it’s surprising the wholesale giant hasn’t listened to feedback from members to implement changes.

While there are plenty of Costco shopping hacks that can improve members’ experiences, there are some company-wide changes that would leave shoppers cheering for the store again. See the 15 most common suggestions Redditors have to improve the Costco shopping experience.

“Put the USB on the BOTTOM of the pies so I don't have to flip them over to scan them at self checkout!” quips Redditor u/PoetryOfLogicalIdeas.

Costco has one of the worst websites for shoppers. Its design is so bad it seems aimed to force people in stores, rather than for functionality.

Redditor u/brickmaus wants “A website and mobile app that didn't feel like they were built by a second semester computer science student as a class project.”

Customers want to know what’s available, how much it costs, and then to be able to purchase it with a click. Very basic features like digitally redeeming cash back options are still unavailable online.

Redditor u/tlmr14 says “I don’t give a single hoot about parking as close to the entrance as possible like many people seem to. It’s all about parking as close to a cart return as I can for me.”

Frequent and nearby cart returns that make it easy to finish the final stopping steps help keep the parking lot free of abandoned carts and keep customers from clogging up the entrance area.

Redditor u/lives_in_van posted, “The membership-checking theater at the front of the store is to try to market the desirability of the store. It's like a line outside of a club helping market the club. SIR! I need to see your membership to let you get this kind of windfall value!”

Customers can see through these performative illusions and prefer transparency.

“Moving things around and rearranging the store constantly doesn’t make it feel like a ‘treasure hunt’ - it’s just annoying” says u/fingerlickinFC, “I’ll never get back the hours of my life spent trying to figure out where they moved the Kirkland brand seltzer cans every other week.”

“I know it's a bulk thing and they have to be careful about items with too much personality, but still” u/MischiefofRats says “everything is polyester. I wish they'd carry more nice natural fibers.”

Costco members want curated choices of higher quality and are willing to sacrifice a larger variety in exchange for better clothes.

Shoppers want seasonal options to be seasonally relevant instead of having to plan months in advance. Costco has gotten too out of sync with the holiday schedule for many members.

“I know people like Christmas shopping early, but it depresses me to see decorated trees and animatronic snowmen in August” commented u/escaped_misery.

“Halloween costumes in July, that are gone by August because they're putting up Christmas stuff” elaborated u/Even_Dog_6713.

Nobody wants to spend more time grocery shopping. Speeding up the wait times on checkout is a largely unanimous agreement from members’ wish lists.

Redditor u/EScootyrant wishes Costco offered “A Self Check Out app scanning feature, plus a dedicated queue-free Express Lane, just like Scan & Go”, which is a popular Sam’s Club benefit that allows shoppers to scan their own cart with their phone app, pay, and then present the receipt to the checker on exit.

Is there anything more annoying than having to hunt around for the price of an advertised product?

Radiator u/l1thiumion begs “Ads show actual prices, not the discount.” Adding insult to injury, the Costco website doesn’t make it any easier to find pricing, leaving customers relying on social media posts to find out pricing expectations — or worse, having to call the store directly to ask for the price.

Buying in bulk can be complicated in areas where public transit is the norm. Customers have to consider how they will transport larger items home, and a simple solution would be for Costco to make handle stickers available that make carrying easier.

“Hire someone to create a proper queuing model. This lord of the flies business has got to go” u/lets_try_civility complained in a comment.

This is a popular sentiment, especially in regard to the free samples. Many Costco members are so frustrated by traffic jams from the sample areas that they would rather eliminate them entirely than have to navigate through crowds waiting to taste-test something.

A dedicated sampling area could help keep traffic flowing for those who want to skip the samples.

Redditor u/OregonTrailislife points out, “Costco will never do this due to potential lost sales, but I’d like to have smaller carts available. It would make maneuvering through the store much easier when I just want to browse and only buy a few things.”

Members with smaller households or who don’t buy a month’s worth of groceries at once have a harder time getting what they need without a hassle.

Costco may have room for improvement, but there are still some key factors that keep members a massive 92% of members renewing year after year.

One of the most frequently mentioned savings from Redditors is gas pricing, with the average customer saving between $0.30 - $0.40 per gallon by filling up at Costco pumps.

That may not seem like a lot, but combined with grocery budget hacks it can really add up to a lot of savings each month.