Even large warehouse retailers like Costco have solutions in place at the beginning of the year. That’s right, the place that offers gifts under $50 for the techie in your life has fun news for its customers. Those with memberships should know what’s changed before they start looking at all the Costco electronics that might be worth buying.
In 2025, Costco made big changes that customers may have noticed during the year, such as expanding the number of stores, introducing Coca-Cola to the food court, and expanding the number of membership scanners in front of stores. However, the company has bigger plans for 2026, including further expansion, more changes to the food court and dispensary, faster queue and exit times, a wider variety of and potentially cheaper signature products, and higher employee wages.
There aren’t many places where you can buy a cheap smart TV, a slice of pizza, and an electric car that customers trust, which may be a few reasons why Costco continues to be a popular shopping destination. As you read this, something to keep in mind is that Costco’s fiscal year starts in September, so some of these changes may have already rolled out at a location near you. Knowing this, let’s take a look at what the future holds for this retailer.
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What will happen to Costco in 2026?
Exterior photo of the Costco wholesale warehouse in Taiwan. The large number of steps visible on both sides of the building are very eye-catching in the photo – Bing-jhen Hong/Getty Images
Costco is heading into 2026 with a lot of ideas. First, the company plans to continue expanding and hopes to open 35 new warehouse stores, five of which will replace existing stores. The second change relates to expansion, as Costco also plans to open a new 40-station gas station in Mission Viejo, California; however, customers will need to be members to fill up. While it may be surprising that membership is required to enter the company’s first standalone gas station, customers may be more surprised to learn that the food court will continue to roll out membership verification scanners to help enforce the membership-only policy of the classic $1.50 hot dog.
The third change is to the company’s pharmacy division. Costco is partnering with pharmacy benefit manager Navitus to provide Navitus customers with transparent pricing and fixed drug costs. Costco’s fourth plan is to shorten wait times by pre-scanning items for people in line, while also introducing more scan-and-go systems at exits to speed up receipt verification.
The fifth change is for Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand. The company plans to move production of these items closer to the actual sales area to reduce costs. That could help Costco make its sixth change: expanding Kirkland’s product offerings. The seventh and final change is that the company also plans to increase employee pay by $0.50 to $1 per hour, depending on their salary level — though some believe the increase won’t keep pace with inflation. These changes are happening at your local Costco throughout the year.
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