Costco isn’t known for being tech-forward. In fact, the company’s seeming aversion to technology has been kind of a hallmark, leading to a website and app that’s light years behind competitors like Sam’s Club in functionality. Thankfully, that’s changing, at least in one aspect: You’ll soon be able to order custom cakes and deli trays in Costco’s mobile app.
Goodbye, Paper Cake Forms
In case you’ve never ordered a custom cake from Costco’s bakery before, let us explain the antiquated process. You pick up a paper form from the stand near the bakery. Fill it out (hope there’s a pen, or you brought one with you!), then choose the flavor of cake, style of decoration (there are pictures of set designs you can pick from), and what you want written on it.
Once the form is filled out, you drop it into a box on the cake stand and hope the bakery gets your order and has the cake ready on the day you want it. It’s kind of a blind process, and while it almost always seems to work, it’s a little bit nerve wracking to put all your trust in the Costco bakery gods. Not to mention that it requires an extra trip to the store that seems unnecessary.
Finally, that cumbersome process is coming to an end. In a recent earnings call, Costco CEO Ron Vachris said that the company is rolling out cake and deli tray ordering in the app. “Very excited about what we have coming in the app,” he said. “We’ve got ordering cakes and deli trays online coming.”
“So many of the things that we’ve heard from our members that could be a little bit clunky,” Vachris continued in the understatement of the year, “are now moving to a digital state.” He added that when the company rolls these tech improvements out, customers love them and use them right away — maybe because we’re just thrilled you’re finally joining the 21st century, guys.
A Slow Roll Out
Unfortunately, there haven’t been any more details released by Costco since that call. A quick check in our own Costco app for a local store doesn’t show any cake or deli tray ordering capabilities yet.
But some people have posted about it on Reddit, including screenshots of their app with the cake ordering screen. It appears that the first thing you do is choose a pick-up date, then enter your contact information, and then choose your cake’s details.
If you’ve already checked your Costco app and don’t see it either, have no fear. “Employee here,” replied one Redditor. “This is something that is slowly being rolled out a little bit at a time. If it’s not available for you yet, please be patient.”
Even if the capability isn’t available nationwide yet, just the prospect of ordering cakes in the Costco app is making people happy. “This is awesome news, will save me from an extra $200 shopping trip when I go to drop off the order form for my kid’s birthday cake,” said one Redditor.
Another was excited about the same thing. “Omg thank you for sharing! It’s somehow available for my Costco in WA. I live an hour away from mine so it’ll save me a trip.”
While this is a great upgrade to Costco’s tech — and frankly, we’re more thrilled that scan-and-go is being tested right now — the company still has a long way to go to become truly customer friendly. “I’d love to be able to instacart my custom cake order as well as my pizza and hot dog order,” commented one Redditor. We can only dream.
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- ‘Yall Get Outdoor Food Courts??’ Costco Members in Awe of Stores in Other Regions — Let’s take a look at the Costco features making shoppers seriously envious.
- These 10 New Costco Items for February Have Shoppers Talking — Whether it’s a seasonal bakery treat, a limited-time snack, or a new prepared food quietly sliding into the deli case, these 10 new finds might be worth a trip to your local warehouse.
