Costco doing away with senior hours

[MichaelB]

I will miss this. Our local Costco seems like it’s senior all day, but it was easy to get in and out quickly around 9:30 and the lines for gasoline were also much shorter.

Costco will soon drop its senior hours after holding them for more than two years amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The special operating hours will be in place until April 17 for members 60 and older, healthcare workers and first responders, the wholesale club said Monday in an update on its COVID updates webpage. The hours have also been for members with disabilities or those who are immunocompromised.

"As of April 18, 2022, Costco will no longer be offering special shopping hours for members ages 60 or older, healthcare workers and first responders," Costco said in the update.

Article here https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2022/03/14/costco-senior-hours-2022/7034980001/

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Darn it!
I hope Sam’s doesn’t stop their pick up option. I really like that option. When I picked up on Saturday the young gentleman who brought me my order apologized for the wait. He said they were having staffing issues for the pick up area. The wait wasn’t that long.

 

[audreyh1]

We never used it. Mainly because early is not a good time for us to get there and we had also heard about it being crowded.

I really don’t think pick up is going away. It had already become popular pre-Covid, and Covid forced many companies to get way better at it.

Same with takeout.

 

[Midpack]

So Costco is reverting to their original 10am open for all customers? I don’t see anything wrong with that, why should seniors have an hour to themselves now that Covid isn’t a front burner issue for most people anymore (not that it couldn’t come back)? Longer employee hours and higher labor costs weren’t supposed to be permanent.

 

[ScoopKona]

So Costco is reverting to their original 10am open for all customers? I don’t see anything wrong with that, why should seniors have an hour to themselves now that Covid isn’t a front burner issue for most people anymore (not that it couldn’t come back)? Longer employee hours and higher labor costs weren’t supposed to be permanent.

Not only that, having observed these seniors during "senior hour," this change will likely slow the spread of disease.

 

[Pellice]

I am mourning this loss. It was wonderful going to Costco during that early hour, 1 person to cart instead of whole families moving slowly through aisles, crazy crowding and noise. Social distancing was easy. True, one didn't get any samples, and the pharmacy wasn't open, but I was willing to make that tradeoff. No more giant kids in carts - that's one of the oddities about Costco, that along with all the giant sized merchandise, the kids in carts are not toddlers who can barely walk, but large-sized types who take up the whole cart. I even saw one reading a book as Mom pushed him around. I used senior hour as much as possible, and elsewhere too.

 

[brett]

Makes no difference to us whatsoever. We avoid popular times. Often zip in 30 minutes prior to closing.

 

[Amethyst]

I'll miss it when BJs makes the change. I liked getting there early; the staff aren't tired and cross yet.

And if a gossip-cart block party developed around the wine racks, I'd just duck into the totally empty baby-things aisle and get around it ;^>

 

[Sunset]

I noticed at our Costco the old dated food, is this why they put it on sale ?

The premix salads packages had a lot that were 3 days past best before, so that is pretty old. I had to hunt for different types that were good for 5 days.
Salad was not on sale.

The 18 pack of kraft dinner would expire in 4 months, maybe that is why it was on sale.

They could take that extra hour of non-open time and check the food dates.

 

[gattara]

Thanks for letting us know; DH and I will miss this but it was great while it lasted.

 

[Badger]

Thanks for letting us know; DH and I will miss this but it was great while it lasted.

+1
Costco is a 30+ minute drive when the traffic is light. During rush hour it can be an hour either way in a lot of traffic. Not to bad to get to Costco in the morning by 9 am so it has been nice to avoid crowds while most people wear masks (I do not consider under the nose as wearing a mask). The late hours would put me into rush hour on the way home.



Cheers!

 

[pacergal]

yes, I saw that article. We used the senior hours for the past couple of years, loved getting there right at 8, hardly anyone else in the store, clean and organized.
Now, we don't go as often, and when we do, its about 30 minutes prior to closing. Go with a list, buzz around picking up what we need and out the door. I no longer peruse the aisles looking for the "next big cool item", although I admit, that was fun!

 

[braumeister]

I think the policy differs somewhat by location, but at my nearest Costco the senior hours have meant opening at 9 am instead of 10 on Tuesday and Thursday. I've been happily taking advantage of that, but really it's not much different from when I simply showed up at 10 when they open for everyone.

Of course, mine is not a very high traffic store anyway -- there is rarely a line at the gas station at that time of day.

 

[Jerry1]

We avoid popular times. Often zip in 30 minutes prior to closing.

Now, we don't go as often, and when we do, its about 30 minutes prior to closing.

I have found that coming in during the last 30 minutes works well. It usually starts with a number of people by the looks of the parking lot, but when you get in, most of them are already checking out. Grab my stuff and go.

I’ve also found that Tuesday mornings are good too.

 

[HarryHawk]

So did Aldi's

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Interesting. I recall at one time they had "business" hours for business owner/accounts that were a couple of hours before they opened to all members. I guess that hasn't been the case in a while? Thankfully, the newest Costco to us isn't nearly as busy as the older one, and if I go between 10a and noon there are very few people there. Well, except for maybe Saturday...but I don't do errands on the weekend.

 

[eytonxav]

I was at our local Costco at 9:00 this morning, and while I was waiting for the door to open, noticed the senior hours sign was gone. Too bad, I enjoy shopping without all the young riffraff.

 

[statsman]

I liked the earlier hour on Tuesday/Thursday. Not so much for avoiding the full crowd or COVID. I just like to start my errand runs early in the day. I'll probably miss it the most once we head into the humid mid- to high-90 summer days here in Central Texas.

I would be fine with them opening at 9am rather than 10am for everyone (most locations).

 

[isisdave]

I liked it too. I'd go at 9:30 when the frenzied rush of fellow geezers was already mostly done. Quiet, rarely any kids, everything well stocked, and although the pharmacy wasn't officially open, they'd service seniors if they could.

 

[RobbieB]

We did it once. There was a whole triple serpentine line of geezers with shopping carts wound around the parking lot waiting for the doors to open.

Yeah, did it once. Once was enough. Don't care that it's gone.

 

[TrvlBug]

Our local Costco has done away with senior hours some time ago, however, they changed their opening hours from 10am to 9am and plan to retain them . Not crowded and, most important to me, I get to start my running errands day earlier.

 

[RobbieB]

I've taken to Costco "snatch & grabs"

Go in, no cart, and only buy what you can carry with your hands. I've done it twice now.

Last time it cost a hundred and seventy bucks -

 

[rodi]

This makes me sad. But I'll get over it.

I'll admit I lied about my age the one time I was asked if I was old enough - this was a few months before I turned 60.

I don't like costco crowds in general... I try to get in early, well before the lunch grazers show up around 11. The oversize carts and folks who don't know how to pull to the side when they stop to look at items - blocking the whole aisle.

Prior to my kids getting their drivers permits I made them navigate Costco without hitting any other carts, people, or displays... I'm proud of that test - it shows a 3d awareness which is something you need as a driver. (And many costco shoppers don't have.)

 

[statsman]

We did it once. There was a whole triple serpentine line of geezers with shopping carts wound around the parking lot waiting for the doors to open.

Yeah, did it once. Once was enough. Don't care that it's gone.

If you did that in the early months of COVID, I can see it. Then again, there were lines at our local Walmarts and HEB stores at that time, too. But since the middle of 2021, those early senior hours were no more crowded outside before opening than a regular weekday. Usually less. Sometimes a lot less. As I stated before, open at 9am for everyone during the weekdays.

 

[travelover]

The last senior day I shopped at Costco was painful. The place was packed with old people hobbling around, blocking the aisles with seemingly no awareness of other shoppers. I think I'll go back to shopping early or late where the ratio of geezers to regular shoppers is more normalized.