Costco Shoppers Are Tired Of This One Annoying Member Habit
With over 100 million members, Costco outlets are often quite crowded. In fact, one of the most annoying things about shopping at Costco is trying to find parking close to the entrance when everyone else seems to have the same idea. Pair this with the fact that most members tend to purchase in bulk when shopping at Costco, and a visit to the store quickly starts turning into a mission.
Since all Costco locations now require shoppers to scan their membership cards when entering as part of the company's strategy to reduce membership sharing, one place where crowds can quickly accumulate is the store's entrance. Several Costco shoppers get irked even before entering the store from having to wait for an unreasonably long time as someone ahead of them rummages for their card.
If shoppers were to keep their cards handy when entering, it would speed things up at the front door. Considering how rare it is to find parking near the entrance, most people would have time to take out their cards before they reached the outlet's doors. Similarly, when you're ready to leave, keeping your membership card handy is one of the easiest ways to keep the Costco checkout line moving. You can also use the Costco mobile app's digital membership card, which is often easier to pull up on your phone than looking for a separate physical card.
Keep your Costco membership card handy when entering and checking out
While most people will have shopping lists on the longer side, for someone who's only there to buy a few items, the long lines can be especially stressful because even a small shopping trip ends up taking so long. Keep your membership card handy, but also plan to avoid the rush at Costco because there's not much you can do if someone ahead of you in line isn't as efficient. Different outlets get busy at different times, so ask one of the employees at your closest Costco when the best time to come and shop is. Mid- and late afternoons in the middle of the week are generally less crowded, while weekends are unanimously busy.
Over the approximately 30 trips that the average member makes to a Costco outlet in a year, you can end up saving quite a bit of time by keeping your card handy and timing your visits right. You save money by shopping at Costco (as long as you know whether your Costco membership is worth the cost), but with a few simple steps, you can also save time.