“It was a dream. It was completely empty.” Costco shoppers are taking advantage of the new early hours for “executive members”

Costco executive members around the United States share their initial reactions to the tier’s new exclusive early hours, which went into effect on June 30. However, some members aren’t happy about the new time-saving policy for those who pay more.

What do executive members think of the early hours?

Executive members who pay $130 annually can now access the store from 9 AM to 10 AM Sunday to Friday before other membership tiers. On Saturday, the retailer’s busiest day, they can shop from 9 AM to 9:30 AM.

Costco implements this change to add value to the executive membership, which went up $10 last September, and to incintivize members in lower tiers to upgrade to avoid crowded warehouses during peak hours.

Many Costco executive members take to social media to share their first impressions of the new policy.

TikToker and executive member Aliii (@miliogrilio) vlogs her first time using the exclusive early hours. A Costco worker hands her a pastry and orange juice as she enters the store.

“There was barely anybody there,” she says, panning the camera to show empty aisles at the warehouse. “I would 10/10 recommend.”

Another executive shopper jokes that she “asked for a life of luxury” and “got access to Costco’s VIP hours.”

Sara Cords (@scord125), a TikToker and executive member, says the new hours are perfect for “overstimulated moms,” as she shows herself shopping with her toddler during the early hours.

Why are some members unhappy with the new hours?

While current executive members say they’re thrilled that Costco introduced the new exclusive early hours, others call the policy a “money grab.”

One current Gold Member—Costco’s lowest tier—says they’ve felt more “pushiness” to upgrade their $65 membership, per a report by TheStreet. The executive membership costs double.

Other executive members believe the early hours won’t feel exclusive for long as more shoppers upgrade to access the store earlier.

“The ratio of executives is higher than before, and I don’t feel they are going to be policing strictly, so it’s still going to be a process of your local warehouse and timing it before the rush hits the register,” one Redditor suggests.

“This is the ‘faster’ lane in heavy traffic, when people move over and stack it up, it stops moving,” another writes.

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