Resco Vs Costco: 6 Ways California's 'Asian Costco' Is Different

Located in a massive commercial space in the City of Industry, a business-focused community in the eastern Los Angeles area, Resco Food Service has become something of a phenomenon since opening its doors in 2024. Known by fans and food influencers as "Asian Costco," the warehouse store features cavernous aisles stacked floor-to-ceiling with groceries, many of them imported products that can be hard to find outside their home countries. You can find goods here from China, Thailand, and Japan, just to name a few. Like Costco, Resco sells a wide variety of products, many available in bulk sizes. 

While the shopping experience may look the same on the surface, there are plenty of differences that set Resco apart. There's some overlap with the types of items available, but Resco isn't just a carbon copy of Costco, Sam's Club, or any other warehouse-style grocery store. Let's dive into some of the major differences you'll find at this new shopping mecca.

Perhaps the most striking difference between Resco and Costco is obvious when you get to the front entrance. At Costco, you'll be stopped to show or scan your membership card to continue inside, but at Resco, no membership is required. Anyone can simply waltz into Resco and shop to their heart's content.

Resco does offer a membership program, though it's not necessary. Having a membership unlocks members-only prices on select items and access to seasonal promotions. At only $20 a year, it's a steal compared to Costco's already reasonable fee of $65 annually, particularly if you plan to make shopping at Resco a regular habit. There's also a $30 corporate membership for eligible businesses and organizations that provides the same benefits, as well as a sales-tax exemption. In addition to qualifying for shopping discounts, members also earn rewards based on how much they spend, which is similar to Costco's Executive membership tier.

While edible groceries are certainly a major draw for Costco shoppers, they're just a small part of what the warehouse store offers its members. Customers go to Costco for pretty much everything — electronics, housewares, clothing, appliances — you name it, and Costco more than likely sells it. You can make one stop and grab prescription glasses, new car tires, a dining room set, and a state-of-the-art laptop, along with your weekly groceries, should you so desire. Don't expect the same variety at Resco. This store, in contrast, is majorly focused on food.

Resco does sell some non-edible products, but these items are still, for the most part, food-related. There's a charming dishware section that sells an array of plates, cups, and bowls. If you need tools to prepare the groceries you're loading up on, Resco also sells cookware, including a selection of electric rice cookers and various stirring, slicing, and dicing implements. Essentially, you can find everything you need here to open up your own commercial kitchen, but don't expect to furnish your home or walk out with a new hi-def TV.

Foods like the infamously "aromatic" durian fruit can be tough to track down at your average American grocery store, but at Resco, that's just one of many unique produce items on offer. Asian produce like lotus root, Shanghai choy, fresh coconuts, and taro roots are some recent items that shoppers have found on offer. The store doesn't just sell hard-to-find international items, though — Resco also has a robust selection of all kinds of fruits and vegetables, often at very low prices, especially for members.

For example, Resco's autumn sale advertised two pounds of fresh carrots for only 99 cents. Compared to the local City of Industry Walmart location, that's half the price. Comparing both stores' prices for three pounds of onions showed similar savings for Resco members. Not only can you save on your daily and weekly produce staples at Resco, but you can also pick up all of the specialty veggies or fruit you might need for any Asian recipes you plan to prepare. Oh, and if a spiky durian is too intimidating but you still want to give this uniquely pungent fruit a try, Resco also sells a convenient frozen version that's just the seedless pulp.

If you're a Costco member, you've more than likely availed yourself at least once (and probably many, many more times than that) of the chain's beloved food court offerings. The legendarily cheap Costco hot dog and soda deal is almost impossible to pass up, and a hot slice of pizza can be the perfect reward after a long shopping session. You won't find anything like that at Resco, however. If you're used to showing up at Costco hungry, you'll want to rethink that strategy when you shop at Resco, or you'll probably leave hangry.

While there's no food court, Resco does offer free samples throughout the store, just like Costco. Dumplings and milk tea are just a few of the items customers have been treated to at tables along the store's wide aisles. It may not hit the same as a hot dog, but just like at Costco, the free samples are a great little pick-me-up while you shop, and a fun way to discover new products.

When it comes to animal proteins, Resco offers many of the same beef, pork, chicken, fish, and shellfish options that you'll find at Costco. If you're looking for less common cuts and harder-to-find butchery items, though, you're far more likely to find them at Resco. Alongside the usual chicken breasts and drumsticks, you'll find chicken feet, popularly eaten as part of a dim sum meal. Pork chops and ribs are available, and so are pork brains, hearts, kidneys, and tongues. You could pretty much restructure an animal, organs and all, with the meat selections you'll find at Resco.

The category of meat that has captivated many social media food influencers is Resco's selection of Wagyu beef. The beautifully marbled delicacies aren't cheap, but they are the highest quality. Many of the cuts of Wagyu steak shoppers have shown off are graced with a prized A5 rating, indicating they are the best of the best. Another of Resco's popular offerings is their selection of meat for hot pot. Thinly sliced rolls of lamb, pork, and Wagyu beef come packaged and ready to be thrown into bubbling broth.

Having only been open since January of 2024, Resco is still fairly new on the scene — for comparison, the first ever Costco officially opened in 1983. It took years for Costco to evolve into the company we know it as today, and as long as Resco remains a popular destination for shoppers, foodies, and influencers, we can reasonably expect it to go through a similar evolution in the future. 

For now, the City of Industry store is the company's sole location, and no plans have been announced regarding expansion. Unlike Costco, where a membership garners you entry into a worldwide network of stores, Resco shoppers are limited to those located near Los Angeles, and those visiting the area. With the store's popularity on social media, though, it's not only locals who are aware of it, and as word continues to spread, people everywhere may clamor for a similar shopping experience in their neighborhood — time will tell.