News & Trending Shopping & Deals News

10 Little Improvements Costco Customers Think Would Make It Significantly Better

From checkout fixes to cart upgrades, here are the small improvements Costco shoppers say would make their favorite store even better.

Costco wholesale storefront in Taichung
Updated Feb. 26, 2025
Fact checked

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.

Earn 2% cash rewards at grocery stores and Costco

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card(Rates and fees) is a powerful rewards card that allows you to earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — including on groceries, even at warehouse stores like Costco.

New cardholders can also earn a one-time cash rewards bonus — $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months!

If you’re looking for a powerful rewards card that offers an extended intro APR period, look no further, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card checks that box too!

This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.

The best part? There's no annual fee.

Click here to apply for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card now.

More functional phone app and website

monticellllo/Adobe laptop displaying logo of Costco

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.”

Implement curbside pickup

Ray Dukin/Adobe curbside pickup sign

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.

Cancel purchase limits on popular items

Andriy Blokhin/Adobe rotisserie chicken

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.

Alert: In 2023 Americans lost over $10 billion to identity theft and fraud

That's right. According to the FTC, Americans lost over $10 Billion to fraud and identity theft in 2023.

But you can safeguard your data with all-in-one identity theft protection services from Aura which comes with $1,000,000.00 in identity theft insurance1per adult, to cover you should you have eligible identity theft-related losses.

An individual plan starts at $9 per month, and you can choose a family plan that outmatches most others - includes Dark Web monitoring to scour data breaches and leaks for your sensitive personal data — such as Social Security numbers (SSN), Medicare information, and phone numbers.

Before you make your next online purchase, protect what you’ve built for a fraction of what it could cost you if your data were compromised.

Save up to 68% when you sign up for protection today!

Stop moving items

trongnguyen/Adobe champagne Liquor aisle inside Costco Alaska

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.”

Get better produce

Adriana/Adobe local costco warehouse in california

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.”

Implement “scan and go”

Tada Images/Adobe Shopping carts loaded

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."

Increase regular inventory

leungchopan/Adobe Inside of the costco store

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.”

Add bigger signs

John Hanson Pye/Adobe brand meat department

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.

Food court upgrades

Olga/Adobe Famous all beef hot dog and fountain drink

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.”

Get a protection plan on all your appliances

Did you know if your air conditioner stops working, your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover it? Same with plumbing, electrical issues, appliances, and more.

Whether or not you’re a new homeowner, a home warranty from Choice Home Warranty could pick up the slack where insurance falls short and protect you against surprise expenses. If a covered system in your home breaks, you can call their hotline 24/7 to get it repaired.

For a limited time, you can get your first month free with a Single Payment home warranty plan.

Get a free quote

Better crowd management

Mara Louvain/Adobe Customers with trolleys at Costco warehouse

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.

Bottom line

Brett/Adobe costco wholesale storefront exterior

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.

Lucrative, Flat-Rate Cash Rewards

5.0
info

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Current Offer

$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details


Financebuzz logo

Thanks for subscribing!

Please check your email to confirm your subscription.