Costco targets checkout and stock frustrations as sales keep climbing

Costco is moving to ease two of the most familiar warehouse complaints, slow checkout lines and out-of-stock items, at the same time its business keeps scaling up. That matters on the floor because every fix aimed at a smoother member trip has to be delivered inside the warehouse, where front-end teams, stockers, forklift operators and managers absorb the pressure of faster throughput and tighter inventory control.

The push comes as Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $269.9 billion for fiscal 2025, an 8.1% increase from $249.6 billion the year before. The company operated 914 warehouses worldwide at Aug. 31, 2025, including 629 in the United States and Puerto Rico, a footprint that leaves little room for sloppy execution when shoppers expect low prices and quick trips.

That operating model has long depended on limited selection, rapid inventory turnover and efficient distribution. Costco has said those efficiencies are central to how it runs membership warehouses and e-commerce sites, and the numbers show how much traffic is now moving across both channels. Fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 e-commerce sales rose 13.5% year over year, excluding changes in gas prices and foreign exchange, a sign that members are using digital tools alongside warehouse shopping.

The company also has a clear financial incentive to keep the experience smooth. Costco raised annual membership fees effective Sept. 1, 2024, increasing U.S. and Canada Gold Star, Business and Business add-on memberships by $5. Executive Membership now costs $130 a year, including a $65 membership fee and a $65 upgrade fee, and executive members earn an annual 2% reward on qualified Costco purchases, up to $1,250. When members pay more to stay loyal, checkout speed and shelf availability become part of the value equation, not just service extras.

Costco has also tied warehouse modernization to member experience and productivity, with more emphasis on faster checkout, digital tools and expansion. For workers, that often means process changes that are supposed to make the day run cleaner, but also higher expectations on the front line to keep carts moving, shelves filled and lines from backing up. In a warehouse chain built on volume, the customer-service promise lives or dies on whether the operation can keep pace with its own growth.