Why Locals Say This Costco Location Is A Nightmare To Visit

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We love a trip to Costco as much as the next person, but the store's atmosphere can be stressful at times. One particular location has gotten a bad rap for the poor experience it offers, at least according to customers who've had the displeasure of shopping there. On our list of Costco warehouses with the worst reviews is the loathed location in Issaquah, Washington, where customers are subjected to large crowds and bad service. The warehouse's proximity to the company's corporate headquarters apparently unleashes a new breed of entitled shopper, as characterized by a Costco member on Reddit who said, "Corporate visitors, I assume, walk around the store all the time, blocking aisles ... The arrogance throbs sometimes in that store."

Vibes are important to a shopping experience, but customer service is even more crucial. At the Issaquah Costco, members shouldn't expect white-glove service. A Yelp reviewer noted, "Every visit is frustrating due to consistently poor customer service. Most employees seem uninterested in helping and unwilling to do their jobs properly." 

Big crowds also detract from the experience. One Facebook user asked, "Is anyone else maddened by the flow of shopping traffic in-store and the layout of the Issaquah location? It drives me INSANE!" In general, customers can try to avoid crowds at Costco by shopping in the middle of the week, preferably in the afternoon or the hour before closing time.

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Price Club, the store that would eventually become Costco, opened in 1976. The company moved its headquarters from Seattle to Issaquah two decades later and steadily overtook the warehouse retail competition in the years since. Costco's headquarters-adjacent warehouse is subject to a lot of criticism, but according to one Yelp reviewer, the busy nature of the Issaquah store is both a blessing and a curse. "Thanks to [the store's] high demand and popularity, the selection stays fresh and well-stocked." 

In a thread of r/Costco, a Redditor claimed that the bustling Issaquah location is great for finding new items. "That's the one where they trial all sorts of new stuff ... They had the card scanners at the entrance before any other Costco." Although we can't verify this claim directly, there is truth to the Issaquah Costco being something of a corporate test market. In an interview with Uniquely Issaquah (courtesy of the City of Issaquah, Washington), Erika Kostal, Costco's Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Membership, said, "We do test things [at the Issaquah location], but not always and not for everything." Perhaps most notably, this location was among the first to unveil Costco's fresh sushi bar.