The Membership Perk Costco Doesn't Give You (But Sam's Club Does)
If you're in a hurry and don't have time to do some bulk shopping, you can always order online and do a curbside pickup if you're a Sam's Club member. Unfortunately, this is not a perk offered by Costco, which will ship to you — and you can pickup in-store with items like jewelry or select electronics — however, at this time, they don't offer curbside pickup.
There is a way around this, however. Not unlike our trick for ordering Costco pizza for delivery, you can use Instacart to place an order for pickup where the Instacarter will bring your items to your car. This comes with the fees incurred from using Instacart, while the curbside pickup at Sam's Club is free for Plus Members and Club members spending over $50. Beyond curbside pickup, there are many differences between Sam's Club and Costco to consider if you have both available in your area.
Why doesn't Costco offer curbside pickup?
Some analysts think Costco is making a mistake by not offering curbside pickup while almost every other grocery store gets in on the service. They have of course looked into it, but, as of now, they don't seem to really need it as they are as popular as ever. Curbside pickup seems to have leveled off after the pandemic-induced boom, as many shoppers have returned to shopping in person.
Plus, Costco's model is built around in-person shopping. From Costco's loss leading deals on rotisserie chicken to the placement of their food court, and to their occasional rearranging of their store layout, the company leans heavily on the spontaneous purchases made by shoppers working their way through the warehouse. Setting up a curbside service where an employee does all the shopping for you takes away opportunities for customers to make these purchases.
Finally, Costco keeps its deals strong by having an efficient supply chain and warehouse. Adding another team of employees who only work when an order comes in would only add to their operational costs. This added expense does not seem to be needed in a time where Costco's business is growing.