Does Costco Offer Curbside Pickup?
There are downsides to living in the modern age — screen-time addictions, way less cool clothing, for example — but there are also some pretty nice conveniences — hot showers, antibiotics, and curbside pick up, to name a few. Alas, that last one, while spreading in popularity with grocery stores and retailers from Target to Safeway, isn't entirely guaranteed. And if you were hoping to acquire five-packs of those giant, wonderful muffins, or grab a bite of a Costco food court hot dog without ever stepping foot inside, we have some unfortunate news for you: Costco doesn't currently offer curbside pick-up. The bulk grocery chain did test curbside pickup at several locations during the pandemic in early 2021 in partnership with Instacart, but it was ended later that year due to a reported lack of member demand. But hey, maybe it's for the best. After all, would you really want to miss out on Costco's free samples?
Other bulk-goods stores like Sam's Club, however, do offer curbside pickup. Sam's Club launched its service in June 2020 and offers it for more or less all of its products, including refrigerated or frozen items. Costco does have a version of a pre-order and pickup system, but it only includes certain items, and items must be picked up inside the location — so much for drive-by grocery shopping.
The pickup options that Costco does have
Although it might not be what you hoped for, Costco does have certain pre-order and pickup options that can simplify your shopping experience. For members, warehouse pickup is available for orders placed through Costco.com, but only for a very specific array of big-ticket items. This includes laptops, tablets, watches, jewelry, cell phones, and hard drives. These items are shipped from a different location to your local warehouse, so standard delivery time will apply.
If you can't wait that long, there's also the option of Costco's Same-Day delivery system or using a grocery delivery service like Instacart, which will allow you to access most, if not all, items that your local Costco sells. Both come with a fee, but have different benefits depending on your situation. Costco Same-Day delivery utilizes Instacart to get your groceries to you, but has higher prices for each item ordered online in order to cover the Instacart fees. Still, Costco waives the delivery fee if you purchase $75 or more of groceries, so for a big order, it might be worth it. Meanwhile, going directly to Instacart might be a good option if you don't have a Costco membership, since you don't need a membership to order Costco goods through the Instacart delivery service. That's right — delicious muffins for all.