The Costco Executive Membership Perk That's Perfect For Early Birds

Costco has many things going for it. The Costco $1.50 hot dog is not only a steal, but less expensive than options like Five Guys. Kirkland vodka is one of the best deals around. If there's one universal complaint about Costco, it's the crowds. The center aisles can be difficult to merge into from the side aisles, and it can be a challenge to get through the masses of families with overflowing carts just to find a line that's not four shoppers deep. If this is keeping you from shopping at Costco, it has recently added a new perk that may bring you back in. If you get the $130 a year Executive Membership,  you can now shop in the morning before the store opens.

The extended hours run from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. As of September 2, Executive Membership is available at all U.S. Costco stores.  Some Costcos are even rolling out the red carpet with free samples of assorted pastries for early shoppers. Whether or not the other samples will be out and able to be enjoyed without a fleet of hungry shoppers elbowing you to grab five before you grab one is yet to be disclosed.

As always, people on the internet have opinions on this new perk. On Reddit, the general consensus seems to be summed up from one poster as "great for members, bad for employees."

While some were worried that, with a bit less than half of Costco members being in the Executive tier, keeping out regular members wasn't enough to cut out on crowds, others felt it was enough. A Costco shopper in LA commented on Reddit, "There's NEVER a time when Costco's aren't crazy busy, but now, between 9-10 a.m., they're actually bearable."

For those employees who worry that they will have to come in extra early, that doesn't appear to be the case. One employee on Reddit said they wouldn't be working extra hours, commenting, "What I've been told is that the only hard rule is that forklifts have to be off the floor before 9 a.m.. We can still stock, have boards (pallets), and have jacks moving around during open hours."

If all of this seems like it isn't worth the extra $65 to be able to come in an extra hour early, we understand. Check out these hacks on how to navigate Costco's checkout fast and effortlessly so you're better prepared next time you go!