When Exactly Does Costco Mark Down Its Unsold Items?

The only thing better about being a member of a warehouse club that sells bulk items at heavily discounted unit prices, is getting those prices marked down even further. Being that Costco isn't a traditional retailer, its warehouse markdowns work a little differently, too. While many mainstream grocery stores or general merchandisers mark down items on a regular schedule, often in the morning, Costco doesn't have a company-wide schedule for when markdowns occur. Rather, markdowns occur when individual warehouses determine that certain inventory needs to be sold. This type of inventory can include seasonal items, discontinued products, and slow-moving or excess inventory. Markdown timing can, therefore, vary considerably from one Costco to another.

Since each Costco warehouse has its own inventory and sales patterns, you can always call your local warehouse and inquire about a specific item's availability or current price. Costco also allows members to check warehouse inventory and pricing through its app. However, out of stock items aren't displayed and updates to product info may be delayed by up to 30 minutes. 

Costco shoppers online recommend popping in on weekday mornings to catch any new markdowns. One Instagrammer specifically recommends Wednesday mornings — this is typically the least busy time for grocery shopping in the U.S, potentially giving you first dibs on new markdowns. A few comments from a Reddit post said Tuesdays and Thursdays were the best days to catch markdowns, while some said it was simply warehouse specific. 

Knowing when Costco marks down its unsold merch is only half the battle — knowing whether or not you've stumbled upon a clearance item is another. While the item may have a price tag, shoppers have discovered Costco uses different price endings to distinguish regular pricing, markdowns, or other special pricing. If an item's price ends in .99, then it's regular, standard pricing. If a Costco price tag ends in .97, this means the item is on clearance and also dependent on the warehouse, so the price may not be the same at every Costco. And even more worth your while, is when that .97 moves to .00 or .88. These endings indicate discounts coming from manager markdowns on items that have been returned or slightly damaged, as well as for dwindling inventory. 

Another infamous markdown symbol to be aware of is an asterisk in the upper right corner of the price. This small detail to look for on Costco price tags signals the item is not coming back due to seasonality or falling short of sales expectations. 

While there's no exact time Costco marks downs its unsold items, if you're looking for even deeper discounts at the warehouse, it may be more about being at the right warehouse at the right time. And by knowing how to decode a great deal by its price tag, you may never miss an opportunity to save.