Costco may roll out a major food court change nationwide — but not everyone's going to be happy
Costco's biggest source of revenue is its membership system, which is why the retailer is looking for ways to increase the number of people who sign up for its plans. It has added some new incentives earlier this year, but recent reports suggest that non-members might not even be able to avail the fantastic deals in the store’s food courts.
According to a report in Eat This, Not That!, one shopper spotted scanners at a Costco Food Court and asked an employee what it was. The employee revealed that the device was a scanner for membership cards. This kicked off a discussion on Reddit with several users hailing the practice to keep the Food Courts comparatively less crowded than before. Some speculated that Executive members might even get some cash back on their food.
The reason this is so significant is that Costco’s Food Court offers some incredible items at incredible prices. Perhaps the most popular of them all is the $1.50 hot dog/soda combo. Shoppers can even avail a whole pizza for just $10. These prices draw a lot of non-members in as well, and it seems like the company will use this opportunity to make as much revenue as possible.
“Spotted these at #88 today. A food court employee confirmed that they are membership ID scanners. They were recently hooked up but not operational at this time. I wonder if purchases at the food court will count towards cash back for Executive Members?” the person who spotted the scanners asked on Reddit. There were several opinions, but most seemed to be happy with the change.
“Good. Food court is one of the highest cost departments and seldom breaks even. Scraping the barnacles off the hull will be good for employees and shareholders alike,” one user commented. “When I lived in California, the Bella terra Costco food court was outdoors, and it was full of non-members, like packed. It was the most crazy thing I've seen. The line always moved fast, tho,” added another.
One user even ranted about non-members crowding the Food Courts. “As someone who works at Costco, these are always the worst type of person. Always rude, always think the world owes them everything, and that they’re somehow more special than everyone else. Always sneaking in through membership and then going to the food court. Can’t wait for this to be implemented at ours. The meltdowns are going to be epic,” they commented.
Some of the others, however, believed that this method might not do much to stop non-members. “I sneak in now as a member. I get food before shopping. I always wondered what would stop actual non-members from going in for food,” a shopper commented. “I used to sneak in through the exit to get to the food court in my younger days when I didn’t have a membership and wanted a quick, cheap snack. So this would’ve been a deterrent for me then,” one more user mentioned.
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