What's the best time to shop at Costco to avoid crowds? Here's what the internet says
What is the best time to shop at Costco in order to avoid crowded parking lots and long lines? Employees and customers across the country have thoughts, and certain days and times appear to be better than others.
On the subreddit r/Costco, the question is posed every so often. There seems to be a consensus that the weekend is chaotic, while the middle of the week is a good day to stock up on everything from the chain’s rotisserie chicken to diapers, paper towels, and laundry detergent.
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However, the time of day matters.
FILE - Customers in line at a Costco in Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Here’s what Costco fans say is their preferred (and less busy) times to shop:
Weeknights before close
A popular sentiment for lower-stress Costco shopping is weeknights generally after 6:30 p.m., when many said the crowds tend to thin. However, one shopper noted that they’ve "learned the hard way that going an hour before close usually means no more rotisserie chickens.
"I work at Costco and Sunday is our busiest day of the week, Friday and Saturday tie for second," another commented. "Thursday can be a little bit busy but not bad, same goes for Monday. And Wednesday is when coupons start, so they can be super busy in the early hours of opening, so with all that being said, I can safely say Tuesday nights is our least busiest."
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Weekdays right at opening
Another day and time customers said they noticed fewer crowds is right at opening, and particularly on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"In my experience having lived all over the country, Tuesdays earlier in the day seem to be the best option," one Redditor wrote on a lengthy thread.
"Not possible for many, but if you can, enter at a weekday opening," another person recommended.
"In my experience, in the middle of the week, when they first open. I see a lot of people saying evening, but that's when it has been the busiest, in my experience, in multiple locations," another added. "Slowest times at my local stores are 10:00 am - 11:30 am and busiest times are 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm (with a peak around 6:00 pm)."
Mid-week afternoons
Shopping at Costco on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon has been cited as another good time to visit.
"We went on a Tuesday at like 3:30pm recently and it was the most pleasant Costco experience I’ve had in a minute," one shopper shared.
"Wednesdays between 2-4 I think," another answered.
"Wednesday afternoon is when my warehouse is at my slowest," an employee wrote. "Morning stocking is done by that point, sometimes (I’m receiving) we’ll get some late appointments of alcohol, but that’s my favorite day of the week."
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During the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is apparently another great time to browse the warehouse aisles, according to many shoppers on this thread.
"Shhhh. Don't tell everyone. I was going to quietly enjoy my mellow Costco Sunday," one Redditor chimed in.
However, the Super Bowl tip might depend on where you live – as Costco stores on Sunday generally close before the big game kicks off in the Eastern Time Zone.
"This only applies for people that live out west," one person noted. "Costco stores on the east coast close before the game starts."
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Tip: Show up before the store opens
One tip commonly shared is to show up 10 to 15 minutes before Costco officially opens, as many times the warehouse doors are up and customers can grab a cart and get a head start.
"As long as you arrive 5-10m before opening, it’ll be quick," one Redditor wrote. "I went this morning, parked near the door and was done shopping (including buying a hotdog at the food court) in about 25 minutes."
Tip: Use Google’s Popular Times tool
If you’re still unsure about when to visit your local Costco, search for the area store on Google – which provides a "Popular Times" tool.
The graph shows how busy the location typically is during different times of the day and is based on average popularity over the last few months, according to the search engine. The popularity of any given hour is shown relative to the typical peak popularity for the business.