Costco has added a brand new feature to its app that will change the way customers shop.
The retailer with warehouse access now lets its customers check whether an item is in stock at the local store before purchasing it.
The ‘Search Warehouse Inventory’ tool is in beta testing and is currently only available to select customers.
The new feature can be found by clicking on ‘warehouse’ at the bottom of the app’s home page. You can find the feature between ‘account’ and ‘shopping cart’.
Customers can specify which stores are closest to them, and the app will then display petrol prices and a search bar to find individual items.
Costco is currently testing the new feature, which has already been rolled out to some users
The search bar allows users to search for products by name or even description.
Customers reported that the new feature first appeared in their apps in June.
“You can now search for items from your local Costco warehouse through the Costco app!” wrote one excited member on X.
The customer indicated that he had been using the app for other purposes, but that he would now like to see ‘actual warehouse prices so he could compare prices’.
However, others were less convinced of the app’s usefulness, pointing to other areas they believe the retail giant should address.
“It will be interesting to see how accurate it is… I’m not holding my breath,” one customer complained on Reddit.
“As someone who has done inventory in multiple warehouses, I can assure you that even the item counts in the store are not accurate. Let alone the app,” another agreed.
“I hope this is correct. I would also love it if it told me the location of something. Home Depot is great, it tells you the aisle and bay number of an item,” wrote a third.
The app change comes after Costco raised membership prices for the first time in seven years.
The retail giant announced in July that it would raise its standard membership fee from $60 to $65 and increase its management level from $120 to $130 per year.
Costco said the increase will reach 52 million memberships, about half of which will be at the top end.
With a Costco membership, customers can get discounts on groceries and electronics in the store.
It also provides access to services such as hearing tests and home insurance.
The new feature is rolling out to some users of Costco’s own app
The new feature allows you to search for items so you can see if they are in stock at a local store
Many Costco fans had expected the rates to increase, as the retailer normally raises rates every six years or sooner.
Costco’s shares, which have risen more than 37 percent this year, have been rewarded by investors eager to see higher membership prices.
In the three months ended Feb. 18, Costco generated $1.11 billion in membership fees, nearly 2 percent of total revenue for the quarter.
This means that Costco makes over $4 billion annually on these costs, a figure that is likely to increase as costs rise.