Costco is at it again, shaking up the way you shop—this time with a new feature on their app that could make the infamous “Costco run” a bit less of a guessing game. The retail giant has rolled out a beta feature called the “search warehouse inventory” tool, allowing customers to check if an item is in stock at their local store before they make the trip. Finally, you can stop walking through the aisles like it’s a treasure hunt.
Right now, it’s only available to a select group of customers (because, of course, not everyone gets to try the shiny new toy right away). If you’re one of the lucky few, you can find this feature by clicking on “warehouse” at the bottom of the app, nestled between “account” and “cart.” From there, you can pick your preferred store, and the app will even show you gas prices because Costco knows how much people love to time their gas runs perfectly. The real draw, though, is the search bar, which lets you look up items by name or description to see what’s in stock.
Naturally, some Costco fans are excited. One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) couldn’t help but share their joy: “You can now search items from your local Costco warehouse in the Costco app!” It’s like Christmas came early for the bargain hunters. Being able to see actual warehouse prices before heading out? Now that’s a win.
I just looked out the window to see if a pig flew by.
My Costco app has LOCAL INVENTORY SEARCH.
Amazing. pic.twitter.com/VmqHI0tWxo
— Neil Enns (@neilennsphoto) September 6, 2024
You can now search items from your local Costco warehouse in the Costco app!!!! I had been using the Same Day section, but the prices weren’t the same because they were for delivery, and now, I can see the actual warehouse prices to price compare 🙌🏽 🛒 pic.twitter.com/RF8GiwDimY
— Mayra Hernandez (@Mayra7Hernandez) September 9, 2024
But not everyone’s popping the champagne. Over on Reddit, the skeptics are out in full force. One user, clearly not feeling optimistic, said, “It will be interesting to see how accurate it is… I’m not holding my breath.” Another chimed in, pointing out that even in-store inventory counts aren’t always reliable, so trusting an app? Well, that’s a whole new level of risk.
And here’s a suggestion for Costco: some users wish the app would go a step further and mimic Home Depot’s system, which tells you the exact aisle and bay number of an item. Now, that would be a game-changer. Until then, it looks like we’re stuck playing “Where’s Waldo” with those 20-pound tubs of peanut butter.
The app update comes right on the heels of a membership price hike—the first in seven years. Standard memberships have jumped from $60 to $65, while the executive-level membership now costs $130, up from $120. Costco members had been bracing for this moment, given the retailer’s pattern of raising fees every six years or so.
Despite the groans from some shoppers, Wall Street is loving it. Costco’s stock has skyrocketed by more than 37% this year, and with $4 billion in membership fees rolling in annually (soon to be even more), the company’s decision to hike prices is clearly a hit with investors.
So, while some Costco devotees may be less than thrilled about the app’s beta status and the fee hikes, it looks like the retail giant’s winning streak isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Whether you’re scoping out inventory or just heading in for the free samples, Costco knows how to keep us all coming back for more.
