Let’s face it—Costco is a paradise for bargain hunters, bulk buyers, and free sample lovers. But if you’re not careful, it’s also a place where you can easily become that shopper—the one everyone secretly (or not-so-secretly) hates.
Recently, a Reddit thread on r/CostcoCanada spilled the tea on some of the most annoying habits shoppers have, and trust me, people had opinions.
If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to rethink your Costco etiquette—unless you want a cart nudged into your heels or a few icy glares in the parking lot.
From aisle blockers to sample hoarders, here are 10 things you might be doing at Costco that are driving everyone else up the wall:
Abandoning frozen or refrigerated items
The sin: Leaving frozen or refrigerated items on random shelves.
What shoppers said: “The frozen product waster has to be the worst out of all of these. Like, walk the short distance and put it back. It’s not that far, I promise.”
Parking like you own the lot
The sin: Blocking off an entire aisle or waiting endlessly for a prime parking spot.
What shoppers said: “For me, the parking is insane. I park as far away as possible. I have no idea what the appeal is of parking so close as you need to navigate out of that mess.”
Blocking the aisles with your cart
The sin: Leaving your cart in the middle of aisles, especially near sample stations.
What shoppers said: “See how that sample table blocks off part of the aisle? Let’s park our cart right at that bottleneck!”
Bringing the whole family
The sin: Bringing too many family members and taking up lots of space.
What shoppers said: “It’s the families of 12 with 2 shopping carts for me. Why did you need to bring 3 generations of people on your grocery trip?”
Digging for your card at the entrance
The sin: Holding up the entrance while searching for your membership card.
What shoppers said:“Stop sideways just inside the front door so you can look for your wallet in your giant Hermione-Granger-contains-everything-you-own-purse.”
“Make sure to also complain about how you’ve ‘never had to show my membership before!’ when you enter.”
Stopping to chat in the middle of the aisle
The sin: Catching up with friends and blocking traffic in the aisles.
What shoppers said: “How about the d*******s that abruptly stop in front of you in the main isle ways to talk to a person they haven’t cared about in 15+ years… you have to do everything in your power not to ram your cart into their heel!!!”
“Two long-lost acquaintances spotting each other and blocking BOTH SIDES of the aisle to catch up on life.”
Failing to return your cart
The sin: Not returning your cart to the corral.
What shoppers said: “People who just abandon their carts anywhere drive me crazy.”
Holding up the line at the Costco Tire Centre
The sin: Asking endless questions and then being surprised that a membership is required to buy tires.
What shoppers said: “The idiot who asks thousands of questions at Costco Tires and then acts surprised when they can’t buy tires without their membership.”
Not walking while eating samples
The sin: Standing still while eating free samples and causing traffic jams in the aisle.
What shoppers said: “[Don’t forget] people who can’t walk and eat a sample at the same time.”
Holding up entrance lines
The sin: Holding up the line at the entrance to ask detailed questions instead of going to customer service.
What shoppers said: “[How to be a hated Costco shopper]: Stop and try to get complex questions answered as you check in, holding everyone else up, instead of going to customer service.”
If you’re recognizing yourself in any of these, chances are you’ve been on the receiving end of some frustrated glares! But don’t worry—next time, you’ll have these tips in your back pocket to be the Costco shopper everyone wishes they had in the aisle next to them.
And hey, once you’ve perfected your Costco etiquette, you can sit back, relax, and join the rest of us in judging everyone else’s shopping sins.
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