Costco has been the go-to retail store and warehouse for many households, thanks to its competitive prices and extensive network of stores. Housing 804 warehouses worldwide in around 12 different countries globally, they have maintained a steady diet of excellent customer service and satisfied customers.
In the pandemic-filled years, accessibility to our daily necessities has been challenging. Still, Costco has adapted to the trying times by making it easier for customers to pick up their groceries/items.
Does Costco have curbside pickup? Read on to find out!
Does Costco Have Curbside Pickup?
Yes, Costco Does have curbside pickups, but the initiative is smaller than what one would expect. In January 2021, Costco announced their pilot curbside grocery pickup in 3 warehouse locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which would only be available to members there.
Costco previously only had pickup service for more expensive items such as jewelry and electronics. Unfortunately, Costco has yet to expand on this program to other warehouses since then, thus making it not fully available.
This feature is also only available for Costco members only. But just in case you are wondering how it all works, the answers are down below!
For more information about Costco’s curbside pickup service, you can refer to their official store website under the Same-Day Delivery page.
How Does Costco’s Curbside Pickup Work?
You can opt for Costco’s curbside pickup when shopping at Costco online, although many people prefer delivery in light of the ongoing pandemic.
Ordering Your Items
- Visit Costco.com or download the Costco App.
- Select the Grocery option.
- Proceed to select Same-day Deliver.
- Select the Pickup option and the location of a Costco warehouse or store.
How to Pickup Your Items from Costco
- When your order is ready for pickup, you will receive a text message on where to park and how to check-in.
- There will be dedicated pickup parking spaces at each pickup warehouse.
- You have a 1-hour pickup window for your items, and they might be limited and subject to availability.
- Follow the instructions in the text message and notify Costco via the app or text that you have arrived at the warehouse.
- A Costco employee will then load your car for a contact-free pickup.
Costco Pickup Fee, Eligible Items, and Pricing
- The minimum order for a curbside pickup is $100 worth of goods from Costco.
- The pickup fee charged for each pickup order is $10.
- The Eligible Items for the curbside pickup include All Groceries, including fresh and select non-food items totaling up to around 2000 products.
Overall a pretty simple and convenient system, it’s a shame that this has not been fully extended to all Costco stores.
Read: Can You Use Someone Else’s Costco Card?
Are There Other Ways to Get Groceries from Costco?
Yes, there are other ways for customers to get groceries and products contact-free from Costco. Among the methods to receive your Costco products are delivered via the Instacart website and app, and the Pickup lockers at Costco Warehouses.
Instacart
Instacart is Costco’s main delivery partner which allows users to order their groceries and favorite Costco items. Just order your items online on Instacart based on your location, and Instacart will deliver your Costco groceries to your doorstep.
The most popular delivery options via Instacart for Costco products are Same-Day Delivery and 2-Day Delivery.
Same-Day Delivery
For the Same-Day delivery, the minimum cost of the order should be at least $35. You get free delivery on your first order, but the usual delivery charge is $5.99 with a 10% service fee by Instachart.
This option is popular for ordering fresh foods and perishable goods right to your doorstep.
2-Day Delivery
For 2-Day Delivery, if you order a minimum order of $75, you can get your delivery fee waived. Instachart does still charge a 10% service fee for each delivery. This method is popular for non-fresh food, and non-perishable goods and items delivered right to your doorstep.
Pickup from Pickup Lockers
According to their CFO Richard Galanti, Costco is planning a massive expansion for its pickup lockers at its warehouses for more than 200 of its US retail stores by the end of 2022.
Pick Up Lockers operate similar to curbside pickup, where you pre-order your items online and pick them up from Costco Warehouses. The process involves limited contact between the customer and store workers, ensuring the safety of everyone involved in the post-pandemic era.
As this is a developing expansion for Costco, we look forward to their fully developed system for the Pickup lockers program!
Conclusion
Costco has made many big moves to establish itself as one of the biggest retailers in the world. Their success involves a seamless customer shopping experience with many options to deliver their products to customers.
While the curbside pickup initiative has not become full normality for Costco, the option of pickup is still there. At the same time, Costco has found different ways to reach their customers via other means, namely the Same-Day Grocery Delivery via Instacard and Pick Up from pick up lockers.
How was your experience using Costco’s pickup service? Let us know in the comments!