COSTCO shoppers are up in arms after the warehouse club implemented a major checkout change that has left the store in chaos.
As the retail giant tweaks its self-checkout layout, members have been fuming that the change has only caused issues, especially with maneuvering Costco’s huge shopping carts.
Costco is the top membership-based warehouse club retailer in the US[/caption]
Costco is rolling out a new self-checkout layout that has members frustrated[/caption]
Costco’s self-checkout has sparked a number of complaints among customers, from frustrating policies and unspoken rules to interrupting employees and selfish members.
Shoppers have raised yet another concern about the retailer’s self-serve kiosks, calling out the recent change in a Reddit post last week.
One customer revealed that their local Costco warehouse had moved the self-checkout stations to the opposite end of the store, near the entrance rather than by the main aisle.
“It’s causing chaos,” cried the member. “You have carts snaking through the snacks aisles and the ones closest to the entrance and jamming them up.”
The shopper also complained that the change had caused much confusion among fellow customers.
They pointed out that many members unaware of the change still lined up at the main aisle, while others could not find the end of the line.
“They say it will be everywhere soon as corporate does not want the main aisle blocked, but it never was,” they wrote.
“Has this occurred elsewhere? It’s probably that ours has a tight setup by the front.”
CUSTOMER CLAPBACK
The Reddit post prompted a flood of backlash against Costco, with one shopper calling the change “terrible” and noting that the original layout made “so much more sense.”
“You now have to walk past the cashier lines, which get very backed up, and you don’t have much space to walk by,” fumed another customer.
“The self checkout lines were never an issue before. Now they’re very close together and the aisle is cramped.”
Costco employees even voiced their grievances about the self-checkout switch-up, with one saying it was “not well planned out.”
“It just moved the line issue to the other side,” they wrote.
Despite the numerous complaints, some Costco members were fond of the layout tweak.
Costco membership sharing guidelines
Costco has strict rules for membership use that shoppers must follow and they’ve been cracking down on offenders in recent years.
- Primary Member Use: Only the primary cardholder can use this Costco membership card. Sharing it for purchases is not allowed as the photo on the card must match the person using it.
- Household Card: Each primary member can add one free household cardholder who lives at the same address. This person will receive their own membership card and can shop at Costco independently.
- Guest Policy: Members can bring up to two guests per visit to Costco. However, only the member can make purchases. Guests must be accompanied by the member.
- Authorized Cardholder: For an additional fee, you can add an authorized cardholder, such as a family member or friend, who doesn’t reside at your address. They will receive their own card and can shop independently.
Credit: Costco
“It’s honestly 100x better,” said one customer, as another praised that “they have gone from the longest lines to the shortest.”
“Not really a big deal,” said another member. “I just have to remember to go to the other side of the store when getting ready to check out.”
WHY THE CHANGE?
One Costco supervisor chimed in, sharing the reason behind the checkout change in the comments section.
According to their general manager, by moving the self-serve kiosks away from the main aisle, it encourages shoppers to use the traditional checkout instead.
“Most of the door audits we have to correct come from self-checkout, so by cutting down on the amount of traffic, it also cuts down on those audits and the number of calls sups/managers have to take care of,” they said.
The worker shared that thanks to the change, their local Costco rarely had lengthy lines stretching down the main aisle during peak and holiday times because more customers were using regular checkout.
“The line moves faster than you think!” they wrote. “Self-checkout is really what slows most everything down and also leads to more card sharing. All the employees want self checkout to be gone tbh.”
A fellow Costco employee agreed, complaining that self-checkout was a “constant issue” and that they wished Costco would get rid of the machines.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Costco for comment.
As the warehouse club adjusts its layout, shoppers are gushing over Costco’s $39.99 “privacy hedges” with a “glowy” feature.
Meanwhile, Costco members are taking advantage of the store’s “massive savings secret” – two little-known words will score the deals.
