If you’re a Costco member, then you probably know about all the products available on their shelves. Currently, Costco has around 4,000 different items in its stores. While this might not be as much as other retailers, Costco puts an emphasis on quality, so you can rest assured that all items available at Costco are high-quality.
However, when shopping at Costco, it isn’t uncommon for some items to be out of stock. And for a lot of shoppers, this can be quite frustrating.
So, you might be wondering when Costco restocks, so you know when to return to the store and get the products that you’ve been waiting for.
In this day and age, another common shopper problem is online items being out of stock. And since you can’t speak to a manager or associate directly on the website, it can be hard to figure out when the item will be available again.
So, in this guide, we’ll be looking at the different Costco restocking days. We tackle how often they restock, what days they restock, and even when they restock their online items.
Table of ContentsShow
How Often Does Costco Restock?
If you’re shopping at Costco and notice that a certain item isn’t at their stores, there’s a high chance that it will be in stock again the next day. This is because Costco typically restocks its shelves every day at around 4 AM.
Costco employees restock the warehouse shelves regularly to ensure that all their products are available as much as possible. This includes most of their items such as cleaning essentials, food, meats, alcohol, and others.
In fact, if you shop during the holiday season, there’s a high chance an item will never be out of stock. This is because Costco restocks its shelves during the holiday season 24/7 to make sure customers get what they need before Costco closes doors for the holiday season.
What Day Does Costco Restock?
As mentioned earlier, Costco employees restock shelves every day. Unlike smaller grocery stores, Costco replenishes its supplies regularly. With over 105 million cardholders, they welcome a lot of different customers, which is why they need to ensure that most of their items are usually in stock.
At around 4 AM every day, the Costco logistics team begins the restocking process. This includes unpacking the items, cleaning up the different departments, and putting the items on the shelves.
During this time, employees also dispose of all the packing materials to ensure a clean store and aisles before the first wave of customers come through the doors.
While all the restocking items are stored at Costco, Costco employees are not allowed to restock large items during the day. This is for health and safety reasons, so if an item is out of stock when shopping at Costco, you need to return to the store the next day. Large items such as sofas are restocked when the store is closed.
However, this is only for large items. For smaller items, customers may notice employees stocking them up at different times during the day. This process is slower than their daily restocking at 4 AM but still ensures that most customers can buy what they need at any time.
With that said, during major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, Costco employees constantly restock the shelves for their customers.
Does Costco Restock Sold Out Items Online?
Yes, Costco does restock the large majority of sold-out items online. Costco updates the stocks of its sold-out online items as soon as their shipment from their suppliers arrives at their distribution center.
So, if you’re shopping on the Costco website and an item is out of stock, keep checking the website throughout the day.
The Costco team regularly updates their inventory, so as soon as the new batch of products arrives, you may order the item and have it delivered to your address using Costco’s delivery service.
Usually, stock levels are updated at 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2:30 PM. So, make sure to recheck the website at around these times to see if an item has been restocked.
Again, stock levels are updated in real-time. However, most customers report that the above times are the prime times to check if an item has been restocked on the Costco website.
How To Check If An Item Is Available At Costco Store?
If you plan on going to Costco for a shopping trip, it might be beneficial to check if certain items you want to buy are currently available. That way, you don’t have to worry about not being able to get your hands on certain items while at Costco.
The best way to do this is to phone your local Costco warehouse. You can use the online Costco store locator tool to find out the contact details of the nearest Costco warehouse.
While you can simply ask the operator whether or not the item is in stock, it’s better to have the item number or product description on hand. That way, it’s easier for the Costco employee to find out if a certain item is in stock.
Alternatively, you may also use the Costco website to check on the stock levels of certain items. If you call the warehouse and the item isn’t in stock, you may also ask the employee if they know what times or what day they will restock the item.
What Is The Best Day To Shop At Costco?
Costco restocks every day. So, if you want to go to Costco during a time when all items are likely available, you can go any day. However, you might have a better chance of getting all the products you need if you go earlier – preferably in the morning.
However, you may also need to find a middle-ground, since Costco welcomes many customers on a daily basis. To avoid crowds, most people recommended visiting between 10 AM and 11 AM. Additionally, weekends tend to attract larger crowds, so visit between these times during weekdays for the optimal shopping experience.
However, many people recommend avoiding Monday mornings. Since this is the time many people restock on their regular groceries, you will likely encounter long lines and a crowded store.
Alternatively, if you aren’t available in the morning – between 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM from Tuesday to Thursday is considered the optimal time for shopping. This way, you avoid the lunchtime rush of customers as well as the wave of customers who shop after they finish work.
If you’re confident your item is in stock and you really want to avoid crowds, 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM is also a good time to visit Costco to do your shopping. Just make sure to arrive at the store at least one hour before Costco’s 8:30 PM closing time.
Conclusion
If you’re frustrated with not being able to buy your favorite items because they’re always out of stock, it’s worth knowing when Costco restocks their shelves so that you know for next time.
Costco restocks its shelves every single day – often throughout the day and around 4 AM for larger items such as sofas and beds.
Additionally, if you’re shopping online, Costco restocks online items allthroughout the day. So, if an item is out of stock when you’re on the website, try revisiting the site at different times during the day as they will update their inventory as soon as they restock on the item you’re after.
If you want to find out when a particular item is going to be restocked – both in-store or on the Costco website, it’s worth reaching out to your local Costco.
