--- title: 6 Ways to Beat the Costco Crowds description: "Costco's deals can bring in many shoppers —\_and that means you may encounter crowds at the warehouses. Here are six ways to avoid them." authors: - name: Marc Guberti url: https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/ bio: Marc Guberti is a personal finance writer who hosts Breakthrough Success, a podcast where he teaches listeners how to grow their businesses and achieve personal transformations. at_money_since: 2024 articles: 462 covers: - Shopping - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Taxes published: '2026-11-05T14:30:18.000Z' section: Shopping word_count: 539 canonical: https://money.com/ways-to-avoid-costco-crowds/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** Money may earn a commission when you click on the products and services below. Opinions are our own, but compensation and in-depth research determine where and how they appear. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/) about how we make money. ![Costco With Empty Parking Lot](https://img.money.com/2026/10/Explainer-Costco-Crowds.jpg) Costco offers great deals, but those perks attract a lot of shoppers. If you’ve been to a Costco, you’re likely familiar with how crowded the warehouses can get. But retirees and people who can shop when most people are working have an edge. ## How to avoid crowds at Costco If you’re looking to snag your favorite snacks, bulk buy your non-perishables and pick up a hot dog and soda without constantly bumping into other shoppers, here are six tips. ### 1\. Go midweek Weekends can get super busy at Costco, since many people are off of work and stocking up for the week. If you can, go midweek, like Tuesday and Wednesday. ### 2\. Shop in early afternoons Some Costco customers like to shop at 1 p.m. on weekdays. That way, the lunch rush crowd is gone, and it’s too early for the after-work crowd to show up. Shopping early in the afternoon — and ideally getting back in your car by around 3 p.m. — means you may be able to avoid rush hour traffic, too. ### 3\. Avoid 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays Costco is a popular destination after work, making weekday evenings a generally bad time to shop. Commuters may stop at Costco on the way home to get some of their shopping done, but it tends to thin out after 6:30 p.m. However, Costco doesn’t stay open 24/7. It closes at 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, which doesn’t leave much time to shop if you want to arrive later. ### 4\. Skip the beginning of new savings cycles Costco regularly runs discounts that are part of its savings cycle, and new discounts can increase foot traffic. You can still capitalize on the same discounts by waiting a little longer before visiting your local Costco. You may also want to avoid shopping right before holidays like Thanksgiving and July 4, when people are likely stocking up on food and drink. ### 5\. Use the Executive early hour, if you have it Costco Executive members get to enter the store earlier than other members. It requires a $130 annual fee compared to the $65 annual fee for standard memberships. It can be worth the extra cost if you are an early riser. However, if you are a night owl who doesn’t like the idea of being ready to shop at Costco before 9 a.m., it may be better to use other strategies on this list. ### 6\. Go when it rains or during the big game It’s easier for people to shop at Costco during sunny skies, but some rain will reduce crowds. Not everyone likes to drive in the rain, but doing so can make your Costco trip a breeze, as long as it’s safe to drive. You can also shop at Costco during big games, such as a weekend football game. Crowds may be nonexistent during the Super Bowl, for instance. ## Learn your store’s patterns Each Costco warehouse is different. What works for some Costco customers may not work for others due to their location and other factors. By establishing a routine that works for you and aligns with times of the day that have less foot traffic, you can end up with small crowds and a more pleasant shopping experience. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/ways-to-avoid-costco-crowds/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Shopping", "item": "https://money.com/shopping/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Retail", "item": "https://money.com/retail/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "6 Ways to Beat the Costco Crowds" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/ways-to-avoid-costco-crowds/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/ways-to-avoid-costco-crowds/", "name": "6 Ways to Beat the Costco Crowds", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2026-11-05T14:30:18.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/ways-to-avoid-costco-crowds/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/ways-to-avoid-costco-crowds/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "6 Ways to Beat the Costco Crowds", "articleSection": "Shopping", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2026/10/Explainer-Costco-Crowds.jpg", "width": 2253, "height": 1331, "caption": "Explainer-Costco-Crowds" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marc Guberti", "url": "https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/marc-guberti/#author", "description": "Marc Guberti is a personal finance writer who hosts Breakthrough Success, a podcast where he teaches listeners how to grow their businesses and achieve personal transformations.", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2026-11-05T14:30:18.000Z", "description": "Costco's deals can bring in many shoppers — and that means you may encounter crowds at the warehouses. 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