What's the most annoying Costco behavior you experience regularly?
I do not understand why people aren't satisfied with the uppermost (open) case of whatever when there's a large stack (and, let's face it--everything is stacked at Costco). I watch them struggle to lift 4 or 5 cases so they can pick one box of raisins from the 5th level down. I get if there was one left on top that was crushed or some other moron opened...but, really?
The other one is the family of 5 that walk next to each other (think front line of an NFL team) while pushing the cart as slowly as possible down the 'wrong' side of the aisle.
"...main character syndrome...". I know exactly what you mean. No situational awareness, that sense that some people have that they're the only person that matters..
My totally plausible conspiracy theory is that the tire shop is close enough to the seating area that you don't want to hang around too long (keeping turnover quick), but not so close to the ordering kiosk that it kills your appetite.
The slow roll through the parking lot looking for THE best parking spot. I suppose that's not unique to Costco tho.
At the gas pump, straddling lanes way back to find the quickest line.
Bro.... It's a sample not a meal. Take one and move on.
Please... Please don't sit at the tomatoes and pull the ones you don't like off the stem and sub them out with others. Maybe this one's just me but I don't need y'all to touch everything and pick and choose at the individual tomato level. Go to a store that doesn't sell in bulk.
There was one time I was trying to leave a parking lot and was stuck behind someone sitting waiting for someone to load their stuff so they could snipe the spot, but blocking the entire lane right next to the exit, so i honked at the sniper for blocking the way out of the parking lot and the lady unloading flipped off the sniper thinking they honked
My Costco has a poorly designed parking area so the “slow roll” has people backed out onto the street. I always go I’m ediately to the back of the lot (and can get into the store before someone doing a slow roll, but I still need to wait for them, so I can even get in the entrance
(I guess this clusterfuck is why my town won’t let them put in a gas station)
The idea of the samples is fine. But they didn’t build their stores for them. It creates a huge tangle of traffic. I wish they would rearrange some shelves or something to solve this.
Are the samples really increasing sales that much? Or is it more about flinging free treats at people because they love that? Fending off low blood sugar during a long shopping experience?
Don't know about you, but I've impulse purchased quite a few products at Costco (and some have become regular staples on the shopping list) because of a random sample.
That said, I do completely agree with you that a better layout would be ideal. Too many people just mingling around waiting for the next round of whatever that block everyone else.
Genuinely curious about why leaving a cart in an aisle and walking off is considered a faux pas.
I typically leave my cart in a less congested aisle to go and get items in another aisle while leaving it butted up next to some items in a way that keeps the aisle free and allows people to get to whatever it's parked next to.
The digging deep into a stack is likely an attempt to get a package of whatever that has a later expiration date. I see folks do that with milk all the time…
I've found that at my Costco, the front pallet of milk is usually a day or two fresher than the one behind it, probably because they know everyone grabs from the back.
Based on my observations, I don't think it's about that. I get the sense that it's more likely some primitive, brain-stem thing that somehow something from the 5th layer is fresher or better. (I've watched customers dig for apples with this same behavior at conventional grocery stores.)
Most stores practice (or should practice) FIFO, or First In First Out. As long as the store is adhering to proper practices and the current product is not all from the same shipment, then yes it should be fresher the further back you go.
Cart stealing! I left my cart for thirty seconds by the clothing and it was gone. The Costco worker nearby said it happens every day. Apparently people don't think they will need a cart, walk all the way to the back, realize they need a cart, and just grab one that someone else has walked away from. People are apparently too lazy to walk back to the front to get a cart.
It really, really isn’t. There’s a whole new strain making hospitalizations tick up. Every reinfection increases the chance of Long COVID. Vaccination does not protect from reinfection.
Ok, but there is still a pandemic. It's not a global emergency anymore, but COVID is not endemic yet. Even once it is, if you are feeling unwell you should stay home and if going out is absolutely required you should wear a mask. That's just the responsible thing to do and a change in COVID status won't change that.
The parking lots. People drive like fucking lunatics, park like assholes, I've nearly been hit or had my spot stolen by someone who sees me about to turn and then darts in so many times.
Back when I was a kid and I'd go to Costco with my family, if there were no tables we'd ask to share. If we get rejected, ask another. Never had issues finding seating. Even now my introverted ass will ask if I can take a spot at a table if there are none.