"When you picture the absolute worst of Costco - chaos in the parking lot, carts bumping, free sample lines stretching across aisles, and checkout queues snaking forever - your mind probably jumps straight to Saturday or Sunday afternoons. While weekends at Costco can be brutal, they're not actually the worst time to shop at the retail giant. The real peak crunch time, surprisingly, is weekday evenings, between 4 and 7 p.m."
"The crowds should not be a surprise. A recent YouGov survey found that Costco is America's most-loved department store chain, with three out of four shoppers holding a positive opinion - well above Walmart (61%) and Target (58%). Combine that popularity with the fact that Costco offers deals and discounts throughout the week, and it's easy to see why there's hardly ever any real downtime inside its warehouse-style stores."
"If we were to actually rank the worst times to shop at Costco, weekday evenings and weekends would probably take the top two spots. But seasoned Costco regulars on Reddit point out that there are other pockets of chaos worth avoiding. The first week of the month, for instance, often brings in shoppers who've just been paid and are ready to stock up. The first weekend of a new coupon book brings in another spike, as deal-hunters rush to grab fresh discounts."
Costco experiences its highest customer volume on weekday evenings, typically between 4 and 7 p.m., driven largely by shoppers stopping on the way home from work. Weekends can be busy but are not the absolute peak. High customer favorability — about three out of four shoppers view Costco positively — combined with ongoing weekly deals and discounts contributes to frequent crowds and limited downtime in warehouse stores. Additional busy periods include the first week of the month when many receive paychecks and the first weekend after a new coupon book is released. Midweek mornings shortly after opening or around 11 a.m. after restocking tend to be quieter.
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