7 Costco shopping secrets you need to know

Wondering how Costco can offer such competitive prices on their products? It’s not because the quality is worse or that your favourite cereal is expiring soon. It’s because of Costco’s membership fees. While most stores buy items for a certain price and tend to sell it for double that, Costco only marks up an item by 14 percent. They make up for that deficit in profit by charging customers an annual membership fee. Pay a fee once, and get access to hundreds of deals for a whole year!

If you’re headed to Costco to buy a specific item, be prepared for a bit of a treasure hunt when finding it. There purposefully aren’t any signs directing customers around the store to find items because, frankly, they don’t want you to find what you’re looking for too quickly! Costco likes having the freedom to move things around whenever they want. If there were aisle signs, they would have to be constantly updated. And hey, the thrill of the hunt is what makes Costco so fun, right?

While everything at Costco already seems like a good deal, there’s a way to tell when something is an especially good deal. When you’re at Costco and see a price that ends in a 7, that means the price has been reduced quite a bit in order to get the product off the shelves. In some cases, Costco won’t even make any money off it. Also, check carefully for an asterisk (*) on price signs. If you see one, it means the product isn’t getting reordered right away. There’s many reasons for this: Maybe the manufacturer is changing its packaging or Costco just doesn’t want to sell it anymore. Either way, if you see an asterisk on an item you like, you should stock up because it might not be there on your next shopping trip.

While the building is huge and there are products everywhere, Costco actually carries fewer items than other stores of a similar size. This helps keep labour costs low so fewer employees are needed. The items are also curated for you, meaning there aren’t dozens of variations of the same product. You can choose from just one or two Costco-approved items and buy them for a great price.

If shopping makes you hungry, you can get a hotdog and a pop for just $1.50. Canadians are used to paying more money for products than Americans do, but Costco sells its prepared foods at the same price in both countries. They don’t profit much from the sale of their $1.50 hot dog and pop—they’re just happy to provide a good, cheap meal and avoid hangry customers.

Costco is widely known for their amazing samples scattered throughout the warehouse. But did you know those employees handing you free treats aren’t actually Costco employees? They are provided by an outside company. So, next time you want to know where the toothpaste or diapers are, you might not want to ask the sample person, because there’s a good chance they won’t know! Just take a snack and find another employee who actually works there to help you out.

If you’re planning to do a big haul on your next Costco trip (and let’s be real, it’s always a big haul), remember to bring something to carry your stuff in. Costco’s founder decided early on that they didn’t want customers leaving with plastic bags like any other grocery store. They preferred a more warehouse feel. At Costco, instead of buying bags, items go straight into your cart at checkout so the store can save money and help keep prices low. It’s a win-win for the company and the environment.

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