If Charles Darwin were alive, he would probably skip the Galápagos trip and head straight to the nearest Costco to study primal behavior at its finest. Speaking of which, Costco is a perfect place for anyone who enjoys bulk shopping and a cheap hot dog at the same time. But because of this great concept the discount retailer offers, it attracts all kinds of people — and a lot of them — and some warehouses just weren’t designed to handle all that bulk drama. According to Redditors who have been in the trenches, these particular warehouses across the country are the worst Costco locations.
Fremont, California
The Pacific Commons Costco isn’t the worst problem child, but it’s far from the best. At roughly 149,000 square feet, it’s one of the largest standard warehouses in California, but regulars say it can feel claustrophobic due to the large crowds it attracts. Shoppers also complain about rude customer service, that it’s never restocked, that the parking lot runs like a demolition derby, and that on busy days the whole place feels like a zoo. “Many items are not stocked or no longer available,” said one Redditor. “ I have to go to New Park Mall Costco to get the missing things.”
Pentagon City, Virginia
Technically, it’s the Pentagon City Costco, but it’s still Arlington’s problem. The store sits under a parking garage like a bunker, wedged next to the Fashion Centre mall, and shoppers say it feels like a madhouse — the kind of place that tests your patience and your grip on reality.
“Wait in line to get through the gate, wait to park, wait to check out, wait to leave. Border checkpoints between dictatorships operate better,” one Redditor wrote. While another added, “My first time there I had an anxiety attack and had to rip my coat off and turn on the AC in the middle of winter.” The parking lot gets an extraordinary amount of hate, with some going so far as to say whoever designed the garage “should be tried at The Hague.” It’s that kind of energy.
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham has been called the worst Costco in America by just about everyone who’s had to shop there. Its proximity to the Canadian border means a nonstop flood of cross-border shoppers, all fighting for carts, gas, and rotisserie chickens. “ It is in a town full of retired and work-from-home, meaning it is busy almost any time you go from open to close. No difference on the weekends,” one Redditor said.
Brooklyn, New York
“Hell hole,” “the most Brooklyn experience imaginable,” and “god awful” are just a few of the ways shoppers describe the Sunset Park Costco, one of the most mind-numbingly chaotic warehouses in the country. It’s built on 3rd Avenue near the waterfront, and instead of the usual wide-open warehouse layout, it’s a two-story store with groceries on the ground floor and everything else upstairs. The parking lot alone could break a lesser human. People post entire rants about circling for twenty minutes, fighting for a space, and nearly getting sideswiped in the process. Inside, it’s total gridlock. The two-story layout sends carts up escalators, where they frequently jam, creating backlogs and chaos on both floors. Checkout lines snake through aisles, and employees look like they’ve seen things they’ll never unsee.
According to veteran shoppers who’ve survived the trenches, the coping strategies are simple: go right when it opens, avoid weekends at all costs, and never, ever try to find parking after noon.
Maui, Hawaii
Everyone on Maui ends up at this Costco. Locals, tourists, and rental cars fresh off the plane all get jammed into one parking lot. It’s the only warehouse on the island of Maui, so there’s nowhere else for anyone to go. It sits off Haleakalā Highway, less than a mile from Kahului Airport, which makes it a convenient first stop.
People often stop here before checking into their hotels to stock up on booze, snacks, and sunscreen. The gas line backs up onto the street.
“Tourists buying things for their trip because they are staying in a condo or rental with a kitchen. Buying cheap beach gear to use while they are visiting so they don’t have to pack it on the plane, etc. Buying stuff to bring home as their trip ends. Most of whom are completely unaware of their surroundings, either because of selfishness or just overwhelming sensory inputs,” a Redditor elaborately explained. “Then you’ve got the locals, many who work two or more jobs to make ends meet, often with large families, and Costco is one of the few places on the island that doesn’t jack the price of things up exponentially — plus they sell things that can easily be split among several families. So yeah, it’s a real study in chaos theory.”
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Huntsville, Alabama
This is the only Costco in North Alabama, and according to shoppers on Reddit, it feels like it. It sits off Memorial Parkway near a cluster of other big-box stores, which makes the traffic rough before you even reach the parking lot. Because it’s the only location in that part of the state, it pulls heavy crowds every day of the week — not just weekends. One shopper said they went on a Wednesday afternoon expecting it to be quiet — “I was so, so wrong. Felt like a Saturday afternoon there.” Another described being “taken aback by how not-nice the Costco employees there are,” adding that the whole experience was disappointing.
Alhambra, California
The Alhambra Costco has a reputation that needs no exaggeration. It sits off Fremont Avenue, and it’s boxed in by traffic and too small for the number of people who shop there. Shoppers complain about parking being too tight, aisles clogging instantly, long checkout waits, and carts left everywhere. By noon, it’s a shoulder-to-shoulder madhouse. The Los Angeles Times included it in a feature on the city’s worst parking lots and called it a “nightmare,” with one shopper revealing that “people literally are tailgating each other” and “vulturing for a spot near the front.”
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