Costco is all about ensuring that customer experience is its top priority. Because of this, Costco is always changing and adding new perks for members.
And recently, Costco revealed new self-checkout technology to help customers’ overall experience. And this one, members can’t be more excited for.
The most recent change saw the end of the self-checkout kiosks, but added two more perks for customers in order to pay more quickly and efficiently. This not only helps shoppers get through their shopping experience in a faster manner, but it also helps with parking.
Many older Costcos have a major parking issue. Most Costcos don’t have room for the volume of shoppers that visit their store. Because of this, shoppers have to wait for a parking spot, often driving around the parking lot waiting for room.
“In the warehouse implementation of scanning memberships at entry, the Costco Digital Wallet and pre-scanning small- to medium-sized baskets is leading to better member experience and improved productivity,” CEO Ron Vachris shared during the chain’s first-quarter earnings call.
“We aim to make the shopping at Costco easier, faster, and more personal, no matter where or how our members choose to shop. This isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s about using technology to strengthen the fundamentals that make Costco who we are.”
2026 is a big year for Costco. Not only are they implemting an easier way to shop for customers, but they’re also adding more warehouses. Vachris shared that they are “about 50-50, half of the expansion in the U.S. and half outside of the U.S.”
Along with building more warehouses, they’re also working on moving some locations to bigger lots with larger parking lots. This also helps locations that are too small to add gas stations, allowing more shoppers to see their when having a membership.
“Expansions and relocations, we normally do about 5 to 6 relocations a year. The uplift is dramatic,” Vachris noted. “When we do these, we normally are moving a building that underserving the market and goes into a larger facility [with] better parking.”
“[We can see] extreme 50%, 60% increases when you add a gas station and really add a lot of parking to a 20% uplift to a building that had everything [and] just got into a better facility.”
What do you think about the new self-checkout process? While it might be a learning curve for many shoppers, this will definitely help customers not feel rushed or stressed when shopping, and it will easily make the process faster and more enjoyable.
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