Costco Quietly Started Testing a New Feature on Its App and Users Are So Excited

While there are ways to shop at Costco without having a membership, there are definitely perks if you’re willing to shell out the $60 to $120 for the annual membership. Savings can quickly add up if you frequent the warehouse often. 

But sometimes shopping at such a gigantic venue can be stressful—and it even causes anxiety for some. I mean, there are so many choices! And the packages are huge and bulky and before long your cart is full—and that’s just from shopping the first aisle. 

And other times, you just simply can’t find what you’re looking for. So after circling the warehouse for an hour and still not finding it, you can at least chalk it up to getting your cardio workout for the day.

It appears, however, that the warehouse giant has taken note and is trying to make your shopping experience more pleasant. They’re currently beta-testing a new feature in the Costco app that allows you to search your local warehouse to see if they have the items you want. It’ll also tell you if the inventory is getting low on those items. In addition, you can search the inventory of other warehouses. This would come in handy if your local Costco doesn’t have what you’re looking for, and you’re close enough to another one that does.

But here’s the thing. Because this is a beta test, not everyone will have this new function just yet, according to a @costcofans Instagram reel. 

To see if you do, navigate to the "Warehouse" tab on your app and see if the "Search Warehouse Inventory” tool pops up. If you don't see it, some users report that logging out of the app then logging back in will activate the feature. 

So far, most of the comments from those who can access the tool have been positive. “It works and I love it!!! No more calling the store,” comments @debbiejoon with a celebratory emoji. 

“Thanks for the info! I checked my app for the Corona, California, location, it’s up and running! A much needed change,” says @rbernal9. 

EatingWell's associate editorial director, Carolyn Malcoun, thinks this tool is a great feature, too. “There are certain items I always buy at Costco and while they’re almost always there, I have gotten to my warehouse and found they’re out of blueberries by Sunday afternoon, for example. It’s nice to be able to check for certain things before I get in the car,” she shares.

Some Costco fans expressed frustration when they couldn’t retrieve the tool. Others who do have it noted that some of the items don’t have images and corresponding descriptions. They were reminded that this is just the beta version of the tool and that it will be refined over time. 

If you do have it, try it out. This is your chance to offer feedback to the company. Do you love it? Hate it? Wish it would do something else? Let them know.