Costco quietly unveils a major perk that has shoppers racing to upgrade memberships

Costco officially rolled out new shopping hours for its U.S. executive members on Monday.The new hours enable Costco executive members to squeeze in some morning shopping before the company’s U.S. warehouses let in people with Gold Star or business memberships. Under the newly-implemented "Executive Member Shopping Hours," those that belong to the $130-per-year membership get exclusive access to Costco and its array of goods from 9 to 10 a.m. on weekdays and Sundays and from 9 to 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays, per the warehouse retailer’s website.  The warehouses will open their doors to other members at their usual start times, 10 a.m. on weekdays and Sunday and 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays. COSTCO OPENING 27 LOCATIONS THIS YEAR, CLOSING IN ON 1,000 SITESThe company first revealed plans to introduce extra shopping time for executive members earlier in the month via social media. It also emailed executive members about the new benefit. Costco’s food courts, optical centers, pharmacies and other "ancillary departments will participate" in the "executive member shopping hours," though its pharmacies will remain closed on Sundays, according to a Facebook post.The company had 37.6 million paid executive memberships at the end of the third quarter.The "executive member shopping hours" aren’t the only hours-related operational move the popular warehouse retailer has undertaken in recent months.Costco lengthened the hours that customers can use its North American gas stations to fill up their vehicles earlier this year."The combination of expanded gas station hours, new gas station openings and lower prices at the pump have led us to having two of our all-time highest gallon weeks in the U.S. during the last month," CEO Ron Vachris said in May. COSTCO TO OPEN NEW STAND-ALONE GAS STATIONHe also said the company continues to pursue various ways to "improve the member experience" at the retailer’s website, telling analysts and investors to "be on the lookout for several new technology pilots we are focusing on to help our members check out through our front end at a faster pace." Costco recently "engaged in some ‘Scan & Go done by Costco’ kind of tests" at some warehouses, according to Vachris. COSTCO CONFIRMS TESTING OF ‘SCAN-AND-GO’ CHECKOUT TECHNOLOGY TO SPEED UP LONG LINESThe company only allows members and people with Costco Shop Cards to shop at its often-bustling warehouses. Over the first three quarters of the year, Costco has generated nearly $3.6 billion in revenue from membership fees. They brought the company a total of $4.8 billion in revenue last year. Pilar Arias contributed to this report. Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei FOX Business Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei FOX Business