Costco begins offering early shopping hours for executive members

Costco’s executive members now have access to exclusive early shopping hours.

Starting Monday, the wholesale retailer began opening at 9 a.m. for executive members. Previously, all members could shop starting at 10 a.m. Sunday through Friday and at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

The standard opening times for other membership levels remain unchanged.

An Executive Membership costs $130 annually, compared with $65 for a basic membership. Executive Memberships also offer additional perks, including a 2% annual reward on most purchases.

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Although executive members make up 47.3% of Costco’s membership, they account for more than 70% of the company’s total sales, the retailer reports.

During a May earnings call, Costco CEO Ron Vachris said the company is exploring ways to improve the shopping experience amid complaints about overcrowding, long checkout lines and limited parking.

"It is a strategic priority for all of us in the company right now to continue to look at how we improve the member experience in our high-volume warehouses," he said.

Vachris added that opening new locations in densely trafficked areas could help reduce congestion at some stores.