Costco Warehouses, known for its wide variety of offerings that boast competitive pricing as well as bulk purchasing options, has been undergoing several changes as it ushered in the new year — with some of these changes being more well received than others.
The warehouse giant will be reintroducing Coca-Cola products to its food court this summer, a decision that was met with great excitement from the majority of its clientele. Parallel to this, the decision to discontinue book sales at most branches was also made and customers are not pleased in the slightest according the posts found in a Costco related “subReddit” thread on the social media platform Reddit.
What are customers saying about their Costco experiences?
Customers often take to Reddit to share reviews, complaints, and advice to optimize your shopping experience on a Costco related thread. Recently, a user made a suggestion that could add extra convenience to your shopping experience, particularly if you are purchasing items in bigger boxes.
The idea is a simple one and not unheard of before. The user suggested that the retailer add stick-on handles to its heavier items so that customers can transport them more easily. The addition of these handles would be especially beneficial to customers who rely on public transport.
The original post read as follows, “I live in a major city and take public transit to go to Costco. If they had these little stick-on handles like Target does, it would be a game changer.” The user further shared that the inclusion of these handles could even influence a customer’s purchases.
Titled “What little things could Costco do that would make the experience significantly better?”, this user’s post sparked a massive debate that resulted in multiple users sharing suggestions and improvements they would like to see from the retailer.
Here are the most popular changes that customers wanted integrated into their shopping experiences
- A redesigned shopping cart that has a built-in coffee cup holder.
- A scan-and-go checkout system to save time when concluding your shopping trip.
- An option to order cafe items via the app thus eliminating the inconvenience of waiting in long lines at the food court.
- The introduction of curbside pickup to lessen foot traffic in store which would then allow for a less chaotic shopping experience if a shopper does decide to step in to the store.
- Elimination of third-party sales reps as they are considered a nuisance by shoppers.
- Re-introducing churros on the food court menu.
Some competitors have already implemented some of these suggestions. For example, Walmart has a new cart design that includes a cup holder and a phone holder. Target also offers the stick on handles that sparked this discussion in the first place and the red retailer’s customers cannot praise its convenience enough.
Changes from the company
The most notable of the changes the warehouse is implementing is a price increase for membership fees. Shoppers will now have to pay an annual membership fee of $65. An annual membership was previously $60.
Another sore point for warehouse shoppers is the end to year-round book sales, as well a warehouse layout change that will be rolled out in coming weeks. As of this year, books will only be sold in the pre-Christmas seasonal period of September to December. Branches in Alaska and Hawaii have already taken the books from its shelves down, with the rest of the country’s to follow suit soon.
The warehouse retailer has also faced massive backlash for its harshness regarding shoppers who do not have a membership. Shoppers now have to scan their membership card instead of showing it to an employee. Members without a photograph on their card are also being asked to provide further proof of ID and customers are outraged at these inconveniences.