Not too long ago, Costco announced that it would be opening its doors an hour earlier every day for Costco Executive Members. Naturally, Costco Executive Members were excited about the change — but even after it took effect in June, the policy wasn’t strictly enforced.
Many locations allowed Gold Star members to shop during the early one-hour window, calling it a grace period of sorts — they were allowed to grab a cart and start shopping starting at 9 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays (they were technically supposed to wait until 10 a.m.). But now Costco is cracking down on its early access policy, and many Gold Star members aren’t happy.
“It hasn’t helped with the crowds of people lining up unfortunately,” wrote one disappointed Costco shopper on Facebook. “Also don’t make the mistake of bringing a return. I waited in line to get in, returned my item, and then was forced to exit the store and get in line a second time. 🙄”
“Since they are in a state that also has pay pricing for HOV lanes that also caters to the wealthy this should surprise no one,” said another Facebook user. An Executive membership has a $130 annual fee — a 50% increase from the standard Gold Star membership.
But not all Costco members are frustrated by the change. In fact, some couldn’t care less. “As a Gold member, I’m OK with someone getting an extra hour of shopping if they choose to pay more for the next tier of membership,” wrote one commenter. “It’s not like they get certain products. I think it’s cool to offer that and definitely an incentive to get that membership,” wrote another.
While some argue that asking customers to pay a premium for extended hours is alienating, it looks like Costco won’t be changing the new Executive Member benefit anytime soon.