Costco warehouses across the United States began restricting their early morning shopping hours to Executive Members only today, marking the retailer's latest effort to add value to its premium membership tier nearly a year after raising membership fees.
The wholesale giant's 875 U.S. locations now open at 9 a.m. exclusively for customers who pay $130 annually for Executive membership, while Gold Star members paying $65 must wait until 10 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
The change affects even stores that previously opened at 9 a.m. for all members, including locations across the Bay Area where regular members now face an hour delay in their shopping schedules12. Membership card scanners at store entrances identify which tier customers belong to, enforcing the new restrictions3.
Executive members also receive a new monthly $10 credit on same-day delivery or Instacart orders of $150 or more, alongside their existing 2% annual reward on purchases34. All members benefit from extended Saturday hours, with stores now closing at 7 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.35
Some locations are offering a grace period for Gold Star and Business members through August 31, allowing them to continue entering at 9 a.m., though Costco has not specified how many stores will honor this transition period3.
The policy shift comes as Executive members, while comprising less than half of Costco's 79.6 million memberships, generate 73% of the company's sales globally, according to CFO Gary Millerchip12. The early access perk mirrors tactics used by competitor Sam's Club, which has long offered exclusive hours to premium members13.
"This could provide some relief" for weekend crowding issues, retail analysts note, though the change has sparked mixed reactions among customers4. Some Executive members welcomed the convenience, while others expressed indifference, with one member commenting on social media: "As an executive member, I don't care about an hour earlier. Bring back the combo pizza and the churros"5.
The hours change follows Costco's September 2024 membership fee increases—the first since 2017—which raised Gold Star fees to $65 and Executive fees to $13012. The retailer previously offered early hours for Executive members before phasing out the benefit in recent years3.
Executive members need to spend approximately $3,250 annually at Costco for their membership to break even through the 2% reward program, making the early access an additional incentive for high-volume shoppers4.
