This Exclusive Costco Perk Is Also Boosting Company Sales

According to a Morgan Stanley Research AlphaWise survey, 77% of U.S. shoppers consider convenience a key purchasing factor. Ease of accessibility is so important that the surveyed consumers reported they were willing to pay 5% more for convenience, and were more likely to opt for one brand over another based on this factor.

Costco made big changes for shoppers in 2025, and convenience played into one of them in particular: In June 2025, Costco announced that Executive members — who pay $130 annually rather than $65 for a Gold Star membership — can enjoy exclusive shopping hours from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Though the company also noted that the exclusive hours can vary slightly from location to location, the hope was that this benefit will make springing for an Executive membership all the more enticing — and it seems to have worked. On the company's fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, Costco President and CEO Ron Vachris announced the implementation of these added hours was already resonating with shoppers. Sales increased in the U.S. by around 1%, and a sizable number of Gold Star members upgraded to Executive status (via Fox Business). Although he didn't attach dollars to his comments, a look at Costco's fourth-quarter 2025 operating results shows that, over a 16-week period, overall membership revenue increased from over $1.51 billion in 2024 to $1.72 billion in 2025, while net sales increased by over $6 billion over the same period.

While Costco's announcement about exclusive hours didn't mention any competitors, strategists were likely aware that fellow warehouse retailer Sam's Club offers exclusive hours to its Plus members from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. every day. Eliminating this difference from its competition will ensure those comparing Costco's membership perks to Sam's Club's will have a tougher time than ever deciding which store is a better fit for their needs. Additionally, Numerator shows that the average shopper spends nearly $100 per Costco trip. So, whether these exclusive hours get new members to sign up or existing customers to come back more often, offering this perk to its customers essentially guarantees the company more revenue while rewarding Executive members with quieter parking lots, less congested store aisles, and shorter waits at checkout.

Unfortunately, workers on the ground aren't as thrilled about this prospect as some of the higher ups. As many Costco stores previously opened at 10 a.m., these new hours limit the time employees have to prepare for each day. As one Costco worker lamented on Reddit after the announcement, "Does that mean they will force the [morning] merchants to come in at 3 a.m. every day? Because we barely make open as is." Meanwhile, another worker pointed out that this perk could potentially upset Gold Star members who can't or won't upgrade their memberships. In this case, it will likely be the store employees dealing with the disgruntled shoppers made to wait until the store opens to everyone.