These 3 Costco Changes Could Make the Store Even Better

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This Costco fan thinks the store could stand to make a few changes. Check out the ones she’s hoping for most. [[{“value”:”

Being a Costco member has long been a financially sound decision for me. What I spend yearly on a membership, I more than make up for in the form of savings on groceries, household essentials, and sometimes, larger purchases.

For the most part, I enjoy shopping at Costco. It’s fun to roam the aisles, check out new products, and perhaps grab some tasty samples when my stomach starts to rumble. But as a long-time Costco shopper, I’d also love to see the following changes arrive.

1. Bringing back early shopping hours for Executive members

I’ve been an Executive member at Costco for years. While my annual cost is double what basic members pay ($120 versus $60), I get the benefit of 2% cash back on my Costco purchases.

Back in the day, Executive members used to have the additional benefit of being able to enter the store earlier than basic members. Costco did away with that perk years ago. But man, I would love to see that one come back.

While I enjoy shopping at Costco, one thing I do not enjoy is battling crowds. And at Costco, you’ll often find plenty of them, even if you go to the store at off-peak hours. That said, I’ve found that the store tends to be emptiest when it first opens, so if you hate crowds, too, you may want to show up early.

2. Allowing customers to call in bakery orders or place them online

Costco’s sheet cakes are a great deal. For just $24.99, you get a massive cake that’s large enough to feed a crowd. And Costco will even customize your cake with a message and design.

But the system for ordering Costco sheet cakes is a bit archaic. You can’t place an order online or call it in over the phone. Instead, you have to go to Costco, find the bakery dropbox, write down your order on a piece of paper, and put it in the box at least 48 hours ahead of when you want to pick up your cake.

There have been times when I’ve needed a sheet cake and had to make a special trip to Costco just to place the order itself. Allowing customers to call in orders or place them online would be far more convenient.

3. Adding one healthy menu item to the food court

As someone who has purchased a massive Costco cheesecake on a whim — and on more than one occasion, at that — I’m not exactly what you’d call a health nut. Still, it would be nice if Costco could add just one healthy item to its food court menu.

There are times when shopping at Costco causes me to work up an appetite. But I tend to shop at Costco in the middle of the day during the week. And at that time, a slice of greasy pizza is only going to slow me down for the afternoon.

I’m not saying Costco needs to start selling a kale bowl with broccoli, spinach, and carrots. But some type of salad would be nice. And if not a salad, maybe a nice vegetarian burrito with actual vegetables in it?

To be clear, this list of changes is one I’ve concocted based on my personal Costco experience. Costco has not announced plans to implement any of these. That said, of all of the changes above, I think the one that’s most likely to come to be is the second one.

Clearly, Costco had its reasons for doing away with early shopping hours for Executive members. And I don’t see salad becoming a food court staple anytime soon. But I know that a lot of customers find the cake-ordering process to be really cumbersome and inconvenient. So I could see Costco eventually taking that to heart, given that the chain has long affirmed its commitment to customer satisfaction.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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