Costco Shoppers Criticize This Notorious Store Policy That Makes You Spend More Money: “All Part of Their Ploy”

There are many reasons to love Costco. Their bakery is always pumping out new, delicious treats — like this new ridiculously delicious triple chocolate loaf — you can always try plenty of yummy samples, and their bulk pricing system seriously cannot be beat.

But one complaint many Costco shoppers agree on is the warehouse’s signage, or lack thereof. 

One Costco customer recently took to Reddit with his frustration, “Is it just me or does anyone else hate the lack of aisle labels?” and discovered he was not alone. As I’m writing this, there are almost 500 responses.

“I hate it, too. I know items change, but most things remain in the same place, just label the damn aisles,” one commenter wrote.

“Yeah, it’s super annoying,” another chimed in.

“Costco is like a box of chocolates; you never know … ” a user said.

Someone else wrote that this design takes you on “a magical mystery tour of things you don’t need but suddenly want.” Many agreed.

In the Reddit conversation, another person said they recently went shopping at Costco for chicken and ended up leaving with beef jerky, a fleece, and croissants. “What, no TV?” someone quipped.

The Reddit thread discusses the intentionality of this setup. Of course, Costco wants you to buy more than you came in for. Apparently, the mazelike layout pushes people to forgo the traditional “if it’s not on the list, it’s not in the cart” shopping mantra and pick up items that simply pique their interest. 

In a 2015 interview on Planet Money, a Price Club executive (Price Club merged with Costco in 1993) admitted that the layout actually is “manipulative.” And he added that the lack of signage “would make it likely that [shoppers] would wander through all the aisles and find other things to buy.”

The layout of the warehouse also supposedly changes frequently. One user even said that an employee told them that inventory is rotated intentionally and on schedule. When customers feel like they finally know where items are, they come in to find that their coffee or favorite protein bars have been moved. 

However, the major layout of the store (electronics, fruits, bakery, meat, dairy, frozen goods, clothing, etc.) is known to stay relatively the same. It’s just what is located in each aisle and where exactly it’s placed in the aisle that shifts. 

Not everyone is annoyed by the lack of labeling, though. In the same Reddit thread, some defended the lack of signage as a result of Costco’s alternating and changing inventory. And many people love the fact that a Costco run can be turned into an afternoon activity in which you can discover new treasures you didn’t think to look for.

Most people, however, agree it’s a problem if you’re simply trying to run in and grab a few things for dinner, with some calling out how necessities (like water bottles, eggs, and milk) are located in the back of the store. The assumption: Before you get to the milk, you’re forced to see as much inventory of other stuff as possible.

So what can be done? Some people discussed having a more accurate Costco app where an item’s location is updated frequently, and another suggested more digital display systems that can update with what’s in stock. A Costco employee in the thread said they would at least like aisle numbers to reference.

But for now, it seems like shoppers are meant to embrace the treasure hunt that is a trip to Costco.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Costco Shoppers Criticize This Notorious Store Policy That Makes You Spend More Money: "All Part of Their Ploy"