Costco shoppers are confused and angry after beloved shopping perk vanishes from the cult-favorite retailer’s website
Costco shoppers were left scratching their heads after a fan-favorite perk was quietly stripped away.
Costco Next, a program that let members purchase products at discounted prices, has disappeared from the retailer’s website.
The apparent disappearance of Costco Next left social media users confused and frustrated – one shopper took to Reddit to ask whether the program shuttered.
The shopper said they were looking for Costco Next deals on bicycles but were met with errors and redirects. Now, the webpage has a stark message about the future of the program.
‘Access to Costco Next store fronts is no longer available,’ the website states. ‘Please refer to the list below for contact information for vendors with active return policies. For eligible returns and warranty inquiries, contact the vendor directly.’
The customer said they contacted a bicycle brand’s customer service after noticing the change – and claimed the company was also surprised by the sudden disappearance of the program.
According to the shopper, bicycle company Priority planned to honor Costco-style pricing through the end of September. They suggested customers should contact the company for a promotional code.
They added that other brands that had participated in Costco Next might be willing to honor their former member pricing.
Costco shoppers use Costco Next to buy products directly from suppliers often at a low price point
Costco Next is a program that lets members buy products directly from suppliers at exclusive, typically deeply discounted prices. That includes big ticket items like travel gear from brands like Briggs & Riley and Travelpro, furniture and electronics.
Following links from that part of the Costco website would send shoppers to a custom store on that brand’s website. Orders would be placed with that store and not with Costco, leading to lower prices.
The sneaky perk originally launched in 2017 but expanded to include more brands in 2021. Now, it’s become a favorite hack of many shoppers to get one-off essentials for cheap.
‘I bought a Nomatic backpack for significantly less than what they were being sold for on their own website,’ one Reddit user wrote. ‘I thought the program was awesome.’
‘Yea, I’ve grabbed a couple pieces of TravelPro luggage over the years for a nice discount without having to wait for any sales,’ another said.
Some customers are already mourning the loss of this shopping option, sharing their best scores online.
One social media user added that this was ‘super disappointing,’ especially because they ‘saved many hundreds’ buying from Costco Next instead of shopping at the retail warehouse.
‘That’s unfortunate,’ another added. ‘The deals were great. Especially when the deals had sales on top!’
Costco shoppers enjoy several other exclusive perks with their membership, including access to the gas stations and food courts
For most shoppers, a Costco membership is all about bulk groceries, giant packs of paper towels and the occasional $1.50 hot dog.
Beyond checkout, Costco has rolled out a series of digital upgrades, including app improvements and virtual ‘waiting rooms’ for high-demand items such as Pokémon cards, designed to prevent bots from overwhelming the site.
The company is installing membership card scanners at store entrances to curb card sharing, a move that drew mixed reactions from customers.
As part of that crackdown, Costco began requiring membership verification at certain outdoor food courts, limiting access to non-members who previously could purchase the retailer’s $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.
Some shoppers have also complained about constantly shifting aisles – though executives have long described the rotating layout as part of Costco’s ‘treasure hunt’ strategy, designed to encourage discovery.
