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After much hemming and hawing, I finally joined Costco via its website a few weeks ago. I bought a house earlier this year, and I’ve got more storage space now, plus I was eager to maximize a Costco membership by taking advantage of deals on appliances, furniture, electronics, and more.

I recently visited the store location closest to me (which is an hour away), and it was an eye-opening experience. Here are five impressions from my first Costco visit.

1. Gas was noticeably cheaper than other stations in the area

We got gas after exploring the store, but we did notice the Costco gas station (and its prices) on our way to the parking lot. My shopping companion has one of the best cards for gas, but since it’s an Amex, we couldn’t use it to buy Costco gas — Costco only accepts Visa.

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In addition to earning cash back with the right credit card, Costco gas was a deal in another way — the cost was just $2.55 per gallon, which was tied for the lowest price in the area. Plus, Costco gas is TOP TIER™ certified, meaning it’s formulated to clean a car’s engine and help it run better.

2. I was able to get inside before the official opening time

This shopping trip was more like a triage mission — I needed to visit in-person to get my membership card, and while I had already placed an order on Costco.com, I wanted to actually lay eyes on what Costco sells in the warehouse closest to my home. (Plus, I wanted some of those bakery muffins my colleague Maurie Backman raves about.)

But I was a bit concerned about the famous Costco crowds, so I visited on a weekday morning at opening time. My shopping companion and I pulled into the parking lot about 10 minutes before Costco’s official opening time, but we saw lots of shoppers getting carts and heading for the entrance, so we followed suit.

I figured we’d have to wait outside for some beleaguered employee to unlock the doors — but we were able to head right inside.

3. Employees are friendly and helpful

After we got inside, I showed my membership confirmation email to the card checker at the front door, and she directed us around to the customer service desk for assistance. It was super fast and easy to become an official member — a customer service rep took my photo and created the card basically instantaneously. And I was told “Welcome to Costco!” by three different friendly employees during my visit.

It’s perhaps not so surprising that the Costco staff is dedicated to the job — Costco gets pretty high ratings from employees (4.0 and 3.9 out of 5 on Indeed and Glassdoor, respectively). Reddit posts and comments from employees suggest the job itself is pretty good, and the pay and benefits are decent. But like in other retail gigs, the customers can be rude and entitled, and dealing with them is the worst part of the job.

4. The store was well-stocked and easy to navigate

I was also incredibly impressed with the layout of the store I visited. Part of my reasoning in arriving early was to enjoy less-crowded aisles and a shorter wait to check out. I was also assuming that the store would be difficult to navigate, but I didn’t find this to be the case at all. Perishables like meat, bakery items, and produce were in a central location, and all other items were organized around them.

Displays were fully stocked, aisles were wide and accommodating of multiple shopping carts, and at no point did I get stuck behind a fellow shopper oblivious to others around them. (Despite the stocked aisles, I suspect the shopping experience would have been less pleasant if I’d opted to visit on a Saturday or Sunday.)

5. I wasn’t asked to upgrade my membership

Based on the numbers for the Costco Executive membership (as of Q4 2024, 35.4 million Costco memberships are of the higher tier) and also Reddit posts, I was expecting to be harangued about upgrading from Gold Star to Executive. The primary difference, besides the price ($65 yearly vs. $130 yearly), is that Executive members earn a 2% rewards certificate back on their purchases once per year.

When I joined several weeks ago, I opted for the Gold Star membership because of how far I live from the store, and the fact that I don’t expect to come anywhere close to the level of spending ($3,250) that would justify the higher tier in rewards alone.

But to my mild surprise, no one asked me about upgrading my membership. I’m left wondering if the staff (or perhaps the management) at some warehouse locations are just more zealous than others. Or maybe it was just that I was a brand-new member.

All in all, I was impressed with Costco, and I had a great time on my first visit. I even got some intel from the cashier I checked out with — Costco might be building a new warehouse closer to my city in the near future. So fingers crossed!

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