Costco has made several significant adjustments this year, aiming to bring more affordability and convenience to its customers. These adjustments include optimizing shopping rules and hours, further discounts on their own brand products, new transparency regulations for the pharmacy counter, and even a limited-time offer on car purchases introduced in early September.
Kirkland Signature, a brand under Costco, has a 30-year history and has consistently maintained its status as the most popular and top-selling brand among customers.
In early September, some popular Kirkland products saw another price reduction, up to $2 off per item, including:
– Kirkland Signature 3-liter refined olive oil;
– Kirkland Signature organic peanut butter;
– Kirkland Signature Mexican corn tortilla strips.
Costco’s CFO, Gary Millership, stated that “These products typically save members 15% to 20% compared to similar mainstream brands, while maintaining quality at the same or even higher level.” He also added that “Costco is committed to launching more new products under the Kirkland brand.”
Recently, Costco partnered with the pharmacy benefits management company Navitus to implement a new “cost-plus” pricing model for its pharmacy and mail-order prescription drugs starting from January 1, 2026. This means that drug prices will be based on Costco’s procurement costs, plus fixed mark-ups and pharmacy service fees.
Under the new model, Navitus customers will benefit from:
– Transparent drug costs and dispensing fees;
– Options for brand-name, generic, and non-specialty drugs;
– Expanded cost-plus options, including Lumicera Health Services specialty drug services;
– Residents living within a one-hour drive of a Costco pharmacy can enjoy free same-day prescription drug delivery via Instacart, even if they are not Costco members.
In June of this year, Costco announced the introduction of exclusive VIP shopping hours for Executive Members with a $130 annual membership fee. After a trial run during the summer, this policy officially took effect on September 2.
Executive Members can enjoy early shopping hours during the following times:
– Sunday to Friday: 1 hour early (9:00-10:00 AM);
– Saturday: 30 minutes early (9:00-9:30 AM).
Additionally, Executive Members can earn $10 in credits per month when ordering on SameDay.Costco.com or through Instacart, and they are eligible for a 2% shopping reward, with a maximum annual reward of $1,250.
It is worth mentioning that all members can now enjoy extended operating hours until 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
Costco’s car program announced a limited-time promotion last week, offering exclusive discounts for “Volvo Certified” pre-owned vehicles from September 2 to October 31 this year.
Each “Volvo Certified” vehicle must pass over 170 stringent tests, have a mileage of less than 80,000 miles, come with a detailed CARFAX vehicle history report, and be certified only by authorized Volvo dealerships.
Executive Members can enjoy a $1,250 incentive when purchasing 2022 to 2025 Volvo hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicle models, while Gold and Business Members can receive a $1,000 discount.
This promotion is for a limited time only, so families considering purchasing a car may want to take advantage of this rare opportunity sooner rather than later.