The US State With The Most Costco Locations By Far
Costco is a warehouse lover's dream. Where else can you buy a nearly seven-pound tub of Nutella spread, a 60-pound bucket of Busy Bee Pure honey, and a 10-carat diamond solitaire diamond ring all in one spot? Luckily, this chain is in just about every state and the District of Columbia, with the exception of Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Sorry, Cowboy State! But don't worry, you can always travel to the state with the most stores where it is a lot warmer, especially in the winter. The Golden State makes up for Wyoming's lack of Costco warehouses, having 140 shops and counting.
Why does California have more Costco stores than any other state? Well, the obvious reason is that this state has the largest population, but it beats the likes of Florida, Texas, and New York, who have a combined 93 stores, by a long shot. Do Californians really love the $1.50 hot dog and free food samples better than the rest of the United States? To be fair, it is probably cheaper than some of the artisan crispy chicken street tacos you can buy from your favorite food truck, and when you are trying to make it in Hollywood, every penny counts.
Meeting customers where they are
According to Contimod, more than 132 million people are hooked on this membership-only store with 92.7% of those members renewing their membership. And per Business Insider, the typical Costco member is a married, 39-year-old Asian American woman, whose annual salary is around $125k. When you consider that California is home to the largest Asian American population in the contiguous United States with almost 6 million calling the state home, you might realize that Costco is being strategic and simply meeting their customer where they are at.
What are the Costco food items customers say they buy the most in California or at any Costco for that matter? Well, it's not the crispy roasted chicken that will cost you about $5. The very popular rotisserie bird is actually only number two on the popularity list. The one item that everyone is buying in bulk from this warehouse: Kirkland brand toilet paper. Who knew!