Does Costco Have Curbside Pickup in 2024?

Curbside pickup remains an extremely popular delivery method for today‘s on-the-go shoppers. A recent survey found that over 40% of consumers expect to use curbside pickup after the pandemic, with top reasons being to save time and avoid going into stores.

As one of the nation‘s leading warehouse stores with 59 million member households, Costco is certainly not immune to these shifting consumer shopping habits – which begs the question…Does Costco offer curbside pickup services for its members?

Unfortunately curbside pickup is not currently available at Costco warehouses nationwide as we head into 2023. However, members do have an order pickup option for select items purchased online. Below we‘ll explore why Costco discontinued its curbside pilot, how the pickup alternative works, and other Costco delivery methods that serve as solid workarounds.

Why Costco Discontinued Curbside Pickup

In 2021, Costco experimented with contactless curbside pickup at three New Mexico warehouse locations. The goal was assessing operational feasibility and member demand in hopes of potentially expanding the offering more broadly.

However after several months, Costco ultimately deemed the curbside pickup pilot “not successful enough” to continue or roll out chainwide.

Exact reasons why remain unclear, although grocery and household items were curiously excluded from eligibility in the test. This likely limited appeal and order volume given non-perishables comprise a significant portion of Costco‘s sales mix outside of the popular gas and pharmacy categories.

Costco sales mix highlights grocery & household dominance

Restricting curbside orders to a narrow subset of merchandise may have ultimately been the pilot‘s Achilles heel. And the warehouse format itself also poses inherent challenges for pickup logistics compared to typical retail stores.

While disappointing for members hoping to enjoy curbside convenience, this direction does align with Costco‘s legendary in-store member experience that builds loyalty and drives significant impulse purchases.

Order Pickup: Next Best Alternative

The good news is Costco members can still skip the lines by ordering online for in-store pickup through Costco.com or the mobile app.

It lacks the curbside convenience of having orders delivered directly to your parked car. However it does spare you from navigating warehouses or waiting in the checkout queue.

Below we‘ll walk through how order pickup works as the leading curbside substitute for Costco members after the discontinued pilot program.

Order Pickup Process

1. Shop Online: Add eligible items to your cart on Costco.com or mobile app. Grocery and household essentials cannot be ordered for pickup.
2. Select Warehouse: Choose the Costco warehouse location you‘ll pickup order from.
3. Checkout: Pay for order online via credit/debit card or PayPal.
4. Get Notification: You‘ll receive email and text alerts when order is ready for in-store pickup.
5. Pick Up: Visit your Costco warehouse and inform staff you are there for "Online Order Pickup" – show confirmation email and member card/photo ID at checkout register and staff will retrieve your prepaid order.

Simple enough right? Now let‘s look at a few frequently asked questions surrounding Costco‘s order pickup option…

Order Pickup FAQs

What items are eligible for pickup?

Only select categories like electronics, jewelry, health, and accessories qualify. Groceries and household essentials like paper goods, cleaning supplies, pet food etc. cannot be ordered online for in-store pickup.

Are there fees to use the pickup service?

Nope! No additional fees apply beyond paying for your actual order. So order pickup gets you the same prices you‘d pay shopping in warehouse.

Can non-members utilize order pickup?

No. You must be an active Costco member to be eligible. After initiating checkout, you will sign into your Costco.com account to verify membership.

How long do I have to pickup my order?

You will receive text/email alerts when order is ready. New pickup orders not retrieved within 5 business days will be automatically cancelled and refunded.

Comparison of Costco pickup & delivery methods

Other Delivery Options for Members

Given the restrictions around order pickup eligibility, what about getting Costco deliveries with that sought-after curbside convenience? Members do have a pair of solid options offering delivery in 2 days or less:

Two-Day Delivery

• Free for orders $75+ (under $75 pays shipping fees)
• Via Instacart or direct Costco.com
• Includes all Costco categories
• Orders arrive within 1-2 business days

Same-Day Delivery

• Powered by Instacart
• Ultra-fast delivery in as little as 2 hours
• Additional service fees apply
• Order minimums waived

While not true curbside pickup, both the 2-day and same-day delivery options get your Costco haul to your doorstep quickly. The direct Costco.com shipping is best for larger orders you can wait 1-2 days on. Instacart same-day works great for faster fulfillment or smaller basket sizes despite the fees involved.

Given growing consumer demand for click and collect conveniences, might we see Costco take another run at rolling out curbside pickup more broadly in 2024 or beyond?

Costco CFO Richard Galanti hinted during a 2021 earnings call that revisiting curbside pickup would require “real estate and logistical challenges” to resolve within their warehouse format and operations.

And with the success of their same-day partnership with Instacart along with the expansion of alternative delivery methods like order pickup…reviving curbside pickup may not be priority #1 on Costco‘s roadmap at the moment.

That said – we certainly wouldn‘t rule out future pilots or targeted tests as the landscape continues evolving. But for now, Costco members can enjoy the next best alternatives to curbside pickup via online order fulfillment or same-day delivery in partnership with Instacart.