Costco Wholesale keeps seniors guessing as warehouses adjust to panic shopping

SOCIAL DISTANCING: The Costco Wholesale warehouse in Teterboro, N.J., makes checking out during the Covid-19 pandemic easy by having an employee send members -- who form a single line -- to a usually empty checkout lane. I was next when I took this photo on April 21.

GUESSING GAME: But Costco keeps older members guessing by changing the hours for ages 60 and above at least 3 times in the last month or so. Now, those hours in Teterboro are 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekdays, forcing older members to show up an hour earlier than before.

Older members must deal  

with 3 changes in special hours

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- A couple of days ago, I showed up at my Costco in Teterboro at around 9:30 in the morning to find no line of members outside the warehouse.

Inside, I found paper towels, toilet paper and spring water -- all of which were running low during our quarantine.

A week earlier, there were no paper towels to be had after a long line of members were allowed into the warehouse starting at 8 a.m., and sacked the place, as often happens at Costco warehouses and other food stores during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I wasn't aware that Costco Wholesale had revised opening hours for the Teterboro warehouse, as well as the special hour reserved for members ages 60 and over.

New hours

Now, older members are allowed in from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. weekdays -- an hour earlier than before, and the third time the special hour has been changed at the Teterboro warehouse, which opens to all members at 9 a.m.

But the Costco warehouse in Wayne -- known for its house-label imported and domestic wines, as well as premium brands of liquor -- doesn't open for seniors until 9 a.m. and for others until 10 a.m.

On May 4, the Costco Business Center in Hackensack closed to walk-in business so I can no longer go there from my home a couple of miles away, if I run out of an item.

You can find "Coronavirus Updates" on the website of your Costco warehouse.

Whole Foods Market in Paramus also reserves 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for 60-plus shoppers.

Warehouse clubs

Costco is a multi-billion dollar global retailer with more warehouse club locations than either of its competitors, Sam's Club (owned by Walmart) and B.J.'s Wholesale Club.

In January 2018, Walmart announced the closing of 63 Sam's Clubs across the United States, including one in Fairbanks, Alaska.

A Costco Wholesale opened for business in the same building in November 2018, a few months after the Sam's Club closed.

In New Jersey

I am a loyal Costco shopper for many reasons, including an 18-inch food court pizza for $9.95, an increasing number of organic foods and produce; fresh wild-caught fish and a pharmacy.

I shop for food at Whole Foods and ShopRite, too, but Costco's prices are lower, and often there are sales or instant savings taken at the register on many items.

Costco Travel can save you money on tours, flights, hotel rooms and rental cars. 

Costco also has an auto buying and discount service program; and sells insurance and home improvements.

Free membership

Best of all, a Costco membership basically is free, if you use the Costco no-fee Visa credit card, earning 4% cash back on gasoline purchases (even at Costco), 3% on restaurant meals, 2% on travel and 1% on all other purchases. 

I have an Executive Membership for $120 a year, but earn 2 times or 3 times that much in cash back every year. A regular membership is $60 a year.

Costco magic may be melting away amid rush and crush of Covid-19 panic shopping

LINING UP TO SHOP: This morning, I stood on one of 3 lines split off from a fourth line of Costco Wholesale members who showed up at the warehouse in Teterboro, N.J., during the hour reserved for people 60 years old and older like me.

 Why isn't the special hour 

for seniors in force every day? 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- My decades-long love affair with Costco Wholesale was sorely tested today.

I showed up at the Teterboro warehouse during the special hour reserved for shoppers 60 years old and older (like me) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, hoping the line would be shorter.

Instead, I found a long, serpentine line and no signs to help me navigate.

I had to ask employees in the parking lot where the line began, then show my I.D. to a police officer, before realizing to my horror that the line I was on was being split into 3 other lines. 

I asked Costco

Checkout went much smoother, but I question why the special senior hours (8 a.m. to 9 a.m.) are available only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Aren't seniors one of the biggest, if not the biggest, slice of the membership in the warehouse club?

When I posed those questions in an email to a spokeswoman at Costco headquarters in Issaquah, Wash., she replied:

"As you can imagine, Costco has received several requests from the media for more information about how Costco is handling the surge of interest in response to the coronavirus as well as our measures to provide a safe environment.

"Costco is not staffed to respond individually to all those questions."

First day?

When I saw so many older members like me on the line this morning, I thought this was the first day the special hours went into effect.

In fact, an employee in the parking lot using a bullhorn apologized for the long line, saying Costco didn't anticipate such a robust turnout.

But when I called the administrative staff later, a woman told me the special senior hours have been in effect for "weeks."

Organics

An increasing number of organic products at great prices have made me a loyal Costco shopper in recent years, including the items I purchased today:

Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa from Peru (4.5  pounds for $10.89), Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix (1 pound for $3.89, 10 cents less than in 2005), Earthbound Farm Organic Spinach (1 pound for $5.49), Organic Kiwis and Organic Bananas (3 pounds for $1.99).

Other great items in my cart included a tray of fresh, wild-caught Monkfish, harvested in the United States ($6.99 a pound), Polish Sausage made with 100% grass-fed beef; and a bag of raw, sodium-free, steam-pasteurized California Almonds (3 pounds for $12.79) that I roast in the oven and dust with Vietnamese cinnamon (another Costco product). 

Out of stock

But in recent weeks, Costco hasn't been able consistently to keep a large number of other items in stock.

For example, no toilet paper was to be had today.

But the warehouse offers other items of only limited appeal, including a 1-pound package of dried Sea Cucumber from Canada ($44.99) that I saw today. 

Even more annoying than that during the pandemic is that Costco continues to move items around in the cavernous warehouse to create what is referred to as a "treasure hunt." 

That ensures members have to walk every aisle to find items on their shopping list and in the process, Costco hopes, discover and purchase impulse items.

Today, as in previous visits to the Teterboro warehouse and the Costco Business Center in Hackensack, I haven't been able to practice the social distancing recommended during the pandemic, even though aisles are wider than in a traditional supermarket.

It would help to make aisles one-way, as they are at the ShopRite in Paramus.

Read: Grocers aren't always ready

 for early business

SOCIAL DISTANCING: At checkout, a Costco employee enforced social distancing, but even the wide aisles in the warehouse make keeping 6 feet apart difficult, because members are searching for their favorite items, which aren't always in the same place.

FOR SEA CUCUMBER FANS: The warehouse was out of toilet paper, but offered a 1-pound package of dried Atlantic Sea Cucumber for $44.99.

PLEXIGLASS BARRIERS: Costco has done an excellent job using plexiglass barriers to separate employees of the membership and returns desks, above, as well as those at registers and at exits, from shoppers.

My gym closed, line at Costco is too long, so how am I supposed to get any exercise?

CORONAVIRUS PANIC BUYING: Lines to check out at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack today were short, compared to Saturday, above and below. The warehouse was still out of toilet paper, but had bottles of spring water, as well as purified water. There was no spring water available in half-liter bottles on Monday.

WATER LIMITS: Costco members were allowed to buy only one pack of bottled water today.

The spread of Covid-19 endangers

older Americans in other ways

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- Since I retired a dozen years ago from a sedentary night job on a newspaper copy desk, I've relied on food shopping and the gym to get my exercise and stay healthy.

In 2012, I supplemented the gym and food shopping with volunteering at a hospital, pushing patients in wheelchairs and doing other chores that required a lot of walking. 

I've covered from 2 miles to 3 miles during a 4-hour volunteer shift on both Wednesdays and Fridays, according to the app on my smartphone.

But the spread of the coronavirus has changed all of that, and now I find that only food shopping provides me with the opportunity to exercise.

As I've always done, I've boosted my steps by parking as far away from the store entrance as possible.

No more volunteering

First, the hospital cancelled the volunteer appreciation lunch and award ceremony scheduled for April, then closed the Volunteer Office altogether.

This week, my gym closed. 

And this morning, I drove into the parking lot of the Costco Wholesale in Teterboro, N.J., only to find a line of shoppers (100 to 150 is my guess) with carts lined up in the rain single file, waiting to be allowed into the warehouse.

Costco decided to limit the number of members in the store at one time, and Teterboro police were on duty to make sure shoppers complied.

Instead of waiting in that line, I walked over to the nearby Walmart, waited on a short line inside the store, and an employee gave me a 12-roll package of toilet paper, which cost about $8.50.

Costco in Hackensack

So, on the way home, I stopped at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack, where I live, and picked up:

A 10-liter bag-in-box of extra-virgin olive oil from Spain, two large bottles of 100% grape juice, a pack of half-liter bottles of Poland Springs natural spring water, a smaller pack of Poland Springs flavored, zero-calorie seltzer; and a 2-pound package of organic Mejdool Dates.

The Business Center also was out of toilet paper, Lysol wipes and other cleaning products.

Counting steps

According to the Health app on my smartphone, I've done .65 miles or 1,500 steps so far today.

In February and so far in March, I've averaged 1.1 mile a day, but my average surely will be less now that I no longer have volunteering and an occasional visit to the gym to supplement food shopping.

On Sunday, I stopped at the Aldi near my home for jars of organic salsa and cans of organic tomatoes, the latter for Pasta with Garlic, Tomatoes and Oil with vegetables I plan to prepare tonight.

Later that morning, I drove to the Super H Mart in Ridgefield, N.J., for the fresh, wild-caught fish we prepare for our Sunday dinner.

On Monday, I also shopped at Whole Foods Market in Paramus, N.J., where I get most of the organic produce and organic pasta we eat, but found many empty shelves.

Message from Costco

Not long after I posted this, I saw this message from the CEO of Costco on controlling the number of members in the warehouse:

Dear Costco Member,

As the global effect of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Costco is firmly committed to the health and safety of our members and employees, and serving our communities. We are closely monitoring the changing situation, and complying with public health guidance.

As many of you have noticed, we’ve experienced a surge of business during this time. As a result, we’ve taken steps to control the number of members in our warehouses and asked that members and employees practice social distancing.

We’ve also reduced some services.

We’ve increased our protocols in sanitizing surfaces, including shopping cart handles, merchandise shelves, front-end belts and registers. Limits have been implemented on certain items to help ensure more members are able to access the merchandise they want and need. Our buyers and suppliers are working to ensure in-demand merchandise as well as everyday favorites are available in our warehouses.

 As new information becomes available, management is keeping warehouse staff well informed so they can respond swiftly and appropriately. While the circumstances continue to change and we modify our operations as necessary, we thank you for your patience and cooperation. As new developments occur, be assured we are committed to taking care of our members and employees and to our mission of providing low prices, quality merchandise and exceptional service.

We extend our sincere thanks to Costco members and employees worldwide for their ongoing support and loyal dedication during this challenging time.   

Thank you,Craig Jelinek, President and CEO, Costco Wholesale

CHECKING TWICE: At the Costco Business Center, an employee, left, checks what's in your cart against your receipt before you are allowed to leave the warehouse.