Healthy Food Delivery : New Costco Policy Has Some Shoppers Feeling Excluded

Costco is a brand built on customer loyalty. Over the years, that mentality has fostered a community of dedicated shoppers, united by the exclusivity of the shopping center and its famous food court. So when a section of that customer base is upset, even if it is a vocal minority, it’s probably a good idea to take note of exactly what they’re complaining about.

Recently, Costco implemented a new policy that has angered some of its loyal customers. Here’s what changed and why the national wholesale brand is taking some flak online.

What’s the New Policy?

Costco has always been an exclusive shopping experience limited to paying members. For many, that exclusivity is a big part of the brand’s appeal. But now the brand has added one more level of exclusivity, and it has some of its longtime shoppers upset.

Starting this fall, Costco shoppers in the store’s “Executive Membership” tier now get an extra hour to start shopping in the morning. This benefit applies every day of the week except Saturdays, when the exclusive shopping window is just half an hour in the morning, but also extends shopping hours by an hour in the evening.

Why Are People Upset?

Costco customers are required to pay an annual membership fee of $65 for the standard membership, which allows them to shop at the store. Executive Memberships cost $130 annually. The idea of having to pay twice as much per year in order to shop in that exclusive early window has left some customers feeling cheated and taken advantage of. The reaction was summed up by one particularly annoyed Costco customer on Facebook:

“I immediately canceled my membership for a 100 percent refund,” posted Gary Blake. “The company breached the terms in which I took out the membership. I burned up a gallon of gas to get there at what was the normal time, had trouble walking and no consideration. I was told to wait 1/2 hour. I’ll stick with BJ’s and continue to be treated with respect.”

The policy is not without its fans, though. Some shoppers with Exclusive Memberships report that the early shopping window is a worthwhile benefit, providing a more calming shopping experience than typical.

“It is such a relaxing shopping environment and not survival of the fittest,” posted a user on Reddit.

Is The Policy Working For Costco?

While Costco is definitely concerned with shopper feedback, the bottom line for the company is ultimately its bottom line. And according to Costco CEO Ron Vachris, they’re already seeing a bump in sales, specifically thanks to this new shopping hours policy.

“To increase value and convenience for our members, on June 30, we added Executive Member exclusive operating hours in the morning and an additional hour on Saturday evenings for all members in our U.S. warehouses,” said Vachris in Costco’s fourth quarter call with Wall Street analysts. “We estimate these incremental hours have added about 1% to weekly U.S. sales since implementation.”

Only time will tell if this increase in sales continues or if enough annoyed Costco customers voicing their opinions online will force the company to reconsider its new shopping hours. For now, it seems that money talks.