Why You'll Want To Visit Costco For A Store Anniversary

For fellow foodies who view grocery shopping as a hobby, you don't need an excuse to make a trip to your fave retailer to load up on goodies. And there's no shortage of reasons to flock to Costco – the feast of free Costco samples, the viral food court snacks, the secret hacks that make Kirkland bakery items even cheaper – you name it. But now you have another reason to run to everyone's favorite mega big box store: the anniversary cake.

Costco has a truly massive floor plan but manages to retain a charming, almost homespun vibe that's warm and fuzzy despite being a major national chain. Perhaps it's because of the wealth of Easter eggs, lore, and hacks or how Costco celebrates its customers, like with slices of cake divvied out on individual store anniversaries, as a unique but somehow very on-brand move.

And true to form, because Costco does nothing small, the bulk seller parties supersize with a massive sheet cake to match, which, if you're lucky enough (or strategic enough) to be in the store on its anniversary, you can score a slice on the house. As Costco fans have taken to Reddit threads to share and compare notes, these celebratory anniversary cakes are truly Costco-sized — some users snapped pics of their local store's cake literally served on a stack of palates.

Like all good things inside the walls of Costco, you'll need a membership card to attend this party, but once you're in, you can expect a cake quite similar to the sheet cakes Costco regularly offers in its bakery. The Costco bakery receives its fair share of love because the treats are great for one, and secondly, for Costco's archaic but charming cake ordering process, involving a pen-and-paper system. No digital ordering is offered — and options only extend to basic vanilla or chocolate with your pick of buttercream icing. 

But for this party, expect everything extra jumbo-sized. Special store anniversary cakes understandably deviate from the standard options, and bakers go all out to create cakes in the shape of the big box store itself. Word on the street is that Costco doesn't regularly announce these anniversary celebrations, so you'll have to be lucky enough to stumble upon the aisle and grab a slice should you find yourself in a store during its anniversary party.

Costco not only celebrates its stores' anniversaries but also its workers, who are eligible to receive all sorts of recognition in the form of bonuses and badges when they hit certain anniversary milestones. Celebrating your own anniversary or other event? Costco can also cover that with a custom sheet cake for your special day.