Why Costco Seems To Always Have A Line Outside Before It Opens

A Costco run is more than just an average grocery store stock-up. Where else can you can everything from baby spinach to rotisserie chicken, without having to make an extra stop for a flatscreen TV and a hot slice of pizza? You can even get real gold bars and do some wine tasting at Costco if you have time. It's no wonder there always seems to be a line outside the store before it opens. Keep in mind, however, that most of those early birds aren't regular families looking for a deal on tube socks and toilet paper. One Redditor explained, "A lot of local businesses actually run off of Costco supplies. Food trucks, small restaurants, etc. They get there as early as possible to make sure their stuff is in stock."

So for at least the first hour that the store is open, be prepared to mix it up with tons of small business owners and employees lined up early to frantically shop for essential products they need in bulk at a low price. Because if a mom-and-pop is out of fryer oil or office products, you'd best believe they'll be the first ones in the store the next morning.

The other big reason people stand outside in the heat or the rain to get into Costco when it first opens is that the shelves are typically restocked overnight, so the store will be fully stocked in the morning. This is important if you're a bar owner, for example, so you can grab a few jars of fancy cherries. But even if they're sold out of whatever you're looking for, you still have a chance of finding a suitable substitute. If you're a regular Costco shopper, you know that showing up late often means that good deals might be gone, and the free samples are picked over, so the early bird does get the worm when it comes to warehouse shopping.

Not only are the shelves fully stocked when the doors finally open, but Costco's gas pump lines are also shorter earlier in the day. For a small business person who doesn't have time to wait in the notoriously long lines for cheaper gas, an early morning trip to pick up a literal barrel of maple syrup at Costco and a couple of gallons of unleaded just makes sense.

So while you might be up bright and early for a wholesale haul or a trip to the tire center, if you're not looking to stock up on a case of c-folds for your small café, it's probably better to head to Costco at least a half hour after it opens. There'll still be plenty of products on the shelves, and you can beat the mad dash from the small business owners who will have already come and gone.