Costco Is Finally Testing Out Curbside Pickup at a Few Locations

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Costco is trying something new amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The club retailer announced last week on its website that curbside pickup — which has grown in popularity during the pandemic — is now being offered to members at three stores in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The new service is eligible with Instacart for about 2,000 items including groceries and select non-food items. There is a $100 order minimum to choose curbside pickup, and a $10 fee on each order.

Costco noted that item prices are the same as warehouse prices at the time the pickup order is placed, but that item prices may fluctuate from the initial price quoted.

Parking spaces have been dedicated for Costco members utilizing curbside pickup at each warehouse. When an order is ready, the customer should follow the instructions received via text message on where to park and check in, the company said.

Costco

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Richard Galanti, chief financial officer at Costco, told CNN Business that the introduction of curbside pickup at Costco is "really nothing more than a test at this point."

"We're always trying different things," Galanti said. "We still scratch our head a little bit on it. We figured we'd try it in a discrete market where there's just a limited number of locations."

Galanti previously said during an earnings call in December that Costco did not "have any current plan" to add a buy online, pickup in-store service like their competitors are doing.

TUCSON, AZ - APRIL 4: A shopper pushes a cart through the aisles of a Costco store April 4, 2008 in Tucson, Arizona. As the American economy slows down, consumers are increasingly turning to thrifty measures to push their money further. Costco stores sell items in bulk, often reducing costs. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) Costco

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Instacart, offered via its website and mobile app in the U.S. and Canada, works with a number of grocery retailers, including Publix, Sprouts, The Fresh Market and Wegmans, to offer curbside pickup.

Instacart also provides same-day delivery from non-grocery retailers, such as Dick's, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, and The Disney Store, according to its website