Ever approach a Costco gas station, see the long lines and glumly pull away?
The big-box club in recent weeks finally did what members have sought for years: It expanded hours to pump gas.
Pumps are now open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. On the weekends, the pump times are 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. Previously, pumps closed at 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.
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The media-shy company announced the change on its Instagram account, where a lot of fans offered their thumbs-up. A few still took their chance to chide Costco for replacing their beloved churros with chocolate chip cookies.
Costco’s gas is usually priced lower than traditional gas stations. Its ability to buy in bulk and sell great quantities of gas daily mean it can sell all grades at lower prices.
For example, on Tuesday a gallon of regular gas was $4.35 at Tustin and several south Orange County clubs, according to the GasBuddy app. It was $3.99 in Garden Grove, $3.88 in Fullerton, $3.93 in Montclair, $3.89 in San Dimas and $3.99 in Highland. In Los Angeles County, gas prices at Costco were $3.89 to $4.09 in coastal cities.
Mobil and Shell prices near those Costcos were selling regular gas from $4.20 up to $4.79 (and higher). Deals could be found at Arco and some smaller chain gas stations.
Costco in its social media posts said members should check their local clubs for gas station hours as all might not have updated to the new times yet.
Those who ditched their Costco card in recent years might be surprised to learn that the club has increased its membership prices, introduced warehouse entrance scanners to stamp out membership sharing, changed its paper supplier (think: angry moms fret a new diaper vendor) and made updates to its food court policy.
One thing that has kept members happy in these high-food-cost days: Two dozen eggs at Costco for $9 are still much cheaper than many traditional grocery stores.
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Costco operates 897 warehouses worldwide. It has 617 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 109 in Canada, and 41 in Mexico. Its newest stores in the U.S. include one in Brentwood and the other in Highland.
The retailer recently completed a new contract with unionized employees.
According to an earnings call March 6, the labor agreement includes an immediate $1 hourly wage increase for the company’s “top of scale” clerks, followed by an additional $1 increase in March 2026 and another in March 2027.
The company’s entry-level clerks got a $0.50 hourly bump, taking Costco’s minimum wage across the U.S. to $20 hourly.
Costco’s President and Chief Executive Officer Ron Vachris said the average pay for its clerks in the U.S. and Canada is now just over $31 hourly.
If you have questions or tips about Costco, email Samantha Gowen at sgowen@scng.com.