7 Big Changes Coming To Costco In 2026

There are several elements central to the Costco shopping experience, like free samples, products sold in bulk, and the stable $1.50 cost of the hot dog combo. Outside of these core Costco experiences, the warehouse chain is always innovating, either to adapt to changing business conditions or simply to deliver more value for members.

Big changes that came to Costco in 2025 included the removal of Pepsi products from food courts in favor of Coke fountains, an increase in membership scanners at warehouse entrances, and a new muffin recipe. Later on, Costco implemented a pretty significant policy change that allowed Executive Members an exclusive shopping hour between 9 and 10 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays. Nearing the end of 2025, Costco already had a number of plans in the pipeline that would come into effect during the subsequent year. Each of the following is one of seven big changes expected to come to Costco warehouses in 2026.

The non-traditional Costco format that most customers are likely familiar with is the Costco Business Center. Shopping at a Costco Business Center is distinct from the standard Costco experience thanks to earlier hours and an even more bulk-focused inventory, among other key differences. The Business Centers aren't the only non-standard Costco format, however. In Anchorage, Alaska, for example, there's a Costco dedicated wholly to furniture and home appliances.

In the spring of 2026, a new non-standard Costco-of-sorts will open in Mission Viejo, California — a standalone gas station. In addition to this novel venture for the Costco corporation, the company announced its interest in opening new Business Centers near the end of 2025, albeit with a focus on expanding the format in Canada. So, between a brand new configuration and the prioritization of the Business Center model, the bounds of what defines a Costco store will be redefined to an unprecedented degree in 2026.

Non-traditional Costco locations may be on the rise come 2026, but Costco is still focusing on its standard warehouse business model first and foremost. Heading into 2025, a total of 29 new Costco stores were in the corporation's pipeline, 10 of which were outside the U.S. Costco fell just short of its goal, opening 27 new Costco stores in total by the end of December 2025.

In the fiscal year of 2026, Costco is looking to open 35 new warehouses. First off, it's worth clarifying that the fiscal year of 2026 starts on September 1, 2025, so that total presumably includes some stores that technically opened in the latter third of 2025. Furthermore, unlike the year prior, Costco did not break down how many of its planned openings would be located overseas. Also complicating that number is the fact that five of those new stores are relocations rather than ventures in entirely new markets. Nevertheless, Costco's footprint is expanding considerably, more or less matching its 2025 rate of growth.

It came as a shock to some when, in 2024, a Costco in Florida introduced signage denying non-members access to its food court. Costco's member-only food court policy isn't new, but rather an existing rule that Florida Costco had simply decided to start enforcing. That said, amidst discussion of this new policy, some customers shared that their local Costco still allowed non-members to dine at the food court.

In 2026, Costco food courts will begin introducing an extra step to verify membership, suggesting an increased seriousness about the company's food court restrictions. Specifically, the same type of digital scanner now standard at Costco warehouse entrances will require a membership card to place a food court order. This information comes courtesy of a poster on Reddit, who spotted a food court scanner at their local Costco that had yet to be activated in November of 2025. While some warehouses, according to commenters, had already utilized such a system for some time, it seems that strictly limiting food court access through member ID verification will be a growing priority for Costco come 2026.

Throughout 2025, Costco warehouses began testing a couple of new technologies intended to speed up the process of checking out and leaving the premises. Around June, Costco started providing access to a so-called scan-and-go system, allowing customers to scan items in their cart using the Costco app while shopping. Payment is then processed through the app, and purchases are verified by an employee who scans the digital receipt. There are good reasons Costco checks receipts before customers leave, and the scan-and-go system speeds up both the check-out process and final receipt check.

Furthermore, in the second half of 2025, some Costcos began testing a device that lets employees scan cart items of a customer still waiting in line at a cash register. Then, when that customer reaches the front of the line, the cashier can use the data from the pre-scan to ring up the purchase. While both of these technologies were introduced preliminarily in 2025, Costco's Q4 2025 earnings call promised a rollout of improved checkout technology at all Costcos across the United States. So, at some point in 2026, Costcos that have yet to adopt these systems should have access to one or both of them, the result of which should be speedier shopping.

It can be easy to forget the full range of services Costco offers its members — Costco has a dedicated travel department, for example, that handles hotels, rental cars, and cruises. Also among Costco's range of non-standard retail services is its pharmacy. Coming into effect on January 1, 2026, is a partnership between the Costco pharmacy and a company called Nativus that aims to simplify purchasing pharmaceuticals.

Nativus is a pharmacy benefit manager that operates on a cost-plus pricing model. That means pharmaceutical prices for Nativus members at Costco pharmacies will be determined simply by adding a fixed markup to the price Costco pays. Naturally, the Nativus partnership will not supersede customers' existing health care plans, so anyone happy with their current plan need not join. But it will become an option starting in 2026 for those who find the Nativus approach appealing.

At the start of December 2025, Costco made headlines for filing a lawsuit requesting tariff refunds from the Trump administration. In September, during the company's Q4 earnings call, Costco had already proposed a perhaps less attention-grabbing strategy to offset tariff costs. In short, the Kirkland Signature brand is at the heart of an initiative to keep prices stable for customers, with sales rising over the course of 2025. Seemingly inspired by Costco customers' ongoing enthusiasm for its house brand, Costco proposed that its value-focused Kirkland Signature products would help shoppers compensate for general inflation moving forward into 2026. 

Furthermore, Costco plans on shifting production of some Kirkland Signature items as close to their physical point of sale as possible. This should lower transportation costs and even reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a byproduct of more locally oriented manufacturing. While one consequence of this approach may well be a decrease in outside brands on Costco shelves, there are name brands hiding behind some of Costco's most popular Kirkland Signature products anyway, oftentimes resulting in a product comparable to its name-brand equivalent but at a lower price point.

It's not just customers who can expect an improved Costco experience in 2026, but employees of the warehouse chain, too. In March of 2025, Costco finalized a new employee deal, raising hourly rates by $0.50 for employees at the lower end of the pay scale, and by $1 for employees at the top end, to $30.90 per hour. Plus, each subsequent year will see an additional $1 increase, so that latter number will rise to $31.90 per hour in 2026.

Finalizing this contract averted strikes at unionized Costco warehouses. That said, not all Costco employees have found the terms of the new deal fair. While those annual $1 wage increases are higher than ever before, they're seemingly commensurate with past raises percentage-wise. And according to the critics, pay raises on such a scale are not sufficient to keep pace with present-day inflation. Altogether, Costco employees will earn higher wages in 2026 than ever before. Whether that's ultimately cause for celebration or critique is up to each employee.