After introducing a new membership perk in June, and following a subsequent grace period, Costco’s latest rule is set to take effect September 1.
Costco shoppers with the Executive Membership have access to an hour of shopping in the morning without other customers. The exclusive window has been subject to a grace period, but it’s now coming to an end.
Starting September 1, only those with the Executive Membership will be allowed in stores from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each day. The hour is slashed to a 30-minute window on Saturdays, with all customers allowed to enter the store from 9:30 a.m.
Customers who do not hold the Executive Membership will be denied entry before 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. all other days of the week.
The policy has been met with controversy by Costco members. However, the company defended its decision, saying in a statement to Business Insider: “Our Executive Members are our most loyal members, and we want to reward them for their commitment to Costco.”
The shopping warehouse has different membership tiers with an annual fee: the $65 Gold Star and the costlier $130 Executive. The chain also offers a Business Membership for $65 annually, though that tier is exempt from the extra shopping hour.
Each membership tier comes with its own perks, including the exclusive shopping hour. Costco also rolled out a $10 monthly credit for Executive members earlier this summer.
The shopping window change is just the latest affecting Costco members.
Shoppers have been divided over the recent move by the wholesaler to transition from selling Pepsi to exclusively Coca-Cola products.
The switch, which elicited a mixed response from customers on Reddit, was finalized earlier in August with a complete Coca-Cola takeover appearing in Costco food courts across the country. All of Costco’s food courts will be stocked solely with Coca-Cola products by the fall.
The company used to serve Coca-Cola before it made the switch to Pepsi products in 2013 to maintain the price of its signature $1.50 hot dog combo, CNN reported.
Then in January, the wholesaler announced it would ditch Pepsi in favor of President Donald Trump’s soda brand after selling the competition’s products for over a decade.
