*Many people will start the new year declaring personal resolutions. For Costco, 2025 will include a series of changes for shoppers new and old.
According to GoBankingRates, the transitions range from a noticeable decrease in books to a soda brand shift in the food court to more Costco’s popping up around the US. Whether the changes pay off in the long run remains to be seen. Meanwhile, all we have is 2025 and the new wave of transition.
So without further ado, per GoBankingRates, here are five changes customers will soon see at Costco for 2025:
Reduced Books Sections
Hundreds of Costco stores will no longer sell books. This is most likely attributed to the soaring popularity of e-books in the past decade, as well as customers turning to Amazon to purchase books. The store also reported that stocking the books had become too labor-intensive.
Costco will remove the book section from 500 of its approximately 800 stores, so the section will become quite the rarity. However, the books section will make a reappearance during the holiday season. If the sections still thrive at the stores where the year-round section remains, Costco said it might bring the section back depending on sales. Conversely, if those stores’ book sales decline, the section could be eliminated, according to Yahoo Finance.
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Food Court Switches From Pepsi to Coke
Coke loyalists will be thrilled to know that the Costco food court is swapping out Pepsi products in their fountains for Coca-Cola ones in 2025, as mentioned by the New York Post. Costco has served Pepsi in the food court since 2013. The change was originally made due to Coca-Cola’s pricing threatening the cost of the long-standing $1.50 hot dog and drink combo. It seems Costco and Coca-Cola were able to work out a deal and the hot dog and drink combo will stay the same low price.
Another food court change customers might notice? Typical picnic-bench-style tables will be swapped for standing tables, so it might not be as comfortable to eat at the food court anymore.
Kirkland Diapers Will Switch Manufacturers
Some parents might want to know that the diapers from Costco’s in-house Kirkland brand will be made by a different company. Kimberly-Clark Corp., which makes Huggies-brand diapers, used to be responsible for making Kirkland diapers. Now, the company making Kirkland diapers will be First Quality, which is the same company that makes Cuties-brand diapers. Kimberly-Clark initiated the change to sell products under its pricier premium brands, rather than less profitable private-label items, as reported by Bloomberg.
Six New Locations
Those looking to get a Costco closer to them could be in luck. Costco shared that new stores are planned for Brentwood, California, Genesee County, Michigan, Highland, California, Prosper, Texas, Sharon, Massachusetts and Weatherford, Texas. All these stores are set to open in March of 2025.
Inventory Search Available on App
Wondering if a local Costco is carrying an item? The Costco app has a beta feature where users can search their local Costco’s warehouse inventory. This is located at the bottom of the screen on a tab that says “warehouse.” This also allows users to see what the gas prices are at that local Costco as well. This started becoming available to some app users in June of 2024 and will soon be rolled out to more customers.
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