Costco Etiquette: Should You Put All Your Items On The Checkout Conveyor?

Costco is known for being extremely efficient: the popular grocery chain sees three million shoppers per day globally, so it's understandable that employees and members alike must have the shopping process down to a science in order to have a safe, enjoyable shopping experience. But recently, Costco members seem to be on different pages regarding how to unload their carts at checkout. According to a Reddit moderator for r/Costco, people are constantly posing questions about this issue, confused about what the exact protocol is while shopping at Costco. Should you shift all your items in the cart with barcodes up for easy scanning? Should you unload every item without any regard to size and weight?

In an r/Costco post, one user lamented about supposed changes to the conveyor belt etiquette at Costco. The shopper claims that they "always leave almost everything in the cart with the bar codes sticking up so they don't have to move anything." On the user's most recent shopping trip, the cashier at checkout seemed rather annoyed that items were left in the cart, and put a majority of the shopper's goods onto the moving belt to be scanned. After asking management, they confirmed that the employee was enforcing a "new policy" asking shoppers to load most things onto the conveyor belt. This post has sparked serious debate between Reddit users who have always done this at Costco, and those who are hearing this rule for the first time.

Most Costco members are expected to load smaller items and fragile goods onto the conveyor for employees to easily scan and pack, while larger, heavy items are left to be scanned in-cart, but this method isn't always exact. One Reddit user in the controversial thread made the point that what is deemed a "heavy" item can vary drastically depending on the person, leaving employees to decide for themselves.

The exact order of operations could ultimately depend on the cashier's preference, but this answer seems to frustrate shoppers who are annoyed by the inconsistency. This confusion regarding conveyor belt etiquette could be tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the time of social distancing, shoppers were expected to leave their items in the cart for employees to scan, limiting the amount of physical interaction and direct contact between employees and guests. As things return to normal, some members seem to prefer the hands-off cart scanning method be implemented permanently, while employees expect a little extra effort from members.

The official Costco website states: "When you are in the checkout line, leave bulky items in your cart. There's no need to move them onto the conveyor belt – the cashier can scan heavy items for you." This slightly contradicts what the Reddit poster heard about new policies. For now, it's probably best to ask your local Costco employee what they would like you to load (or not load) onto the conveyor belt.

Even before heading to checkout and deciding which items warrant a lift onto the conveyor belt, there are plenty of guidelines that shoppers are expected to adhere to. Take extra caution while weaving through Costco with a large cart full of items — abide by the "rules of the road" while merging into oncoming aisle traffic by staying to the right-hand side and being careful of your surroundings. Keeping your cart with you at all times is another great way to make your shopping experience pleasant for all; when carts are left out in the middle of aisles, it can impede other shoppers' ability to walk past and become a safety hazard.

One of the most important unspoken rules regarding your shopping cart is to put it away neatly after shopping. This gives arriving shoppers easy access to a much-needed cart and makes employees' jobs easier when rounding up carts for disinfecting and organizing. Some people may not return their cart because they don't want to leave their items behind, or they have small children in the car that they don't want to leave unattended. Luckily, Costco employees are always happy to help you unload items if you are in need of some extra hands. Costco's website says, "If you need help loading something into your car, just ask for assistance at the exit door."