Costco's Major New App Feature Is Rolling Out Now: How It Will Change the Game
Costco shoppers have been calling on the warehouse club for years to introduce a feature that will allow them to easily check which products are in stock at different warehouses. As of this week, their wish has finally been granted.
Costco released an app update (Version 24.6.3) on June 24 that will allow shoppers to check product availability right on their phones.
"In this release, app users get a redesigned Warehouse tab with a new Inventory on Hand search feature allowing members to search for inventory of products at the warehouse," the update's description reads.
This is a major step for Costco since, up until now, shoppers had to either stop by the retailer in person or call their local club to check if a certain item was in stock. Costco fans haven't been shy about voicing their frustration over the lack of an inventory search feature.
"Why doesn't Costco offer inventory checks online for specific stores? Even Walmart has this feature. You can look up a specific item in a specific store to see if it's in stock. Ridiculous that a trillion-dollar company that is anal about keeping things in order doesn't offer this," a shopper complained on Reddit in 2020.
Perhaps in response to these complaints, Costco has been teasing plans to add an inventory search feature since last year. Executives then announced during a March earnings call that they were just a few months out from launching the feature, but didn't provide an exact date.
While this week's app update is good news for shoppers, their days of waiting for an inventory search feature don't appear to be over just yet, unfortunately. Customers say their apps haven't been showing a new way to check inventory even after downloading the update.
"I did the update on my iOS device. The warehouse tab is the same as before. No 'Inventory on Hand' feature is showing up," a Redditor wrote.
"I just updated and while the version notes say it's a new feature, I'm not finding anything new in the 'warehouse tab,'" another agreed.
I also downloaded the update for my Costco app but didn't see a new way to check the inventory at my local warehouse. Costco did not immediately respond to our queries for more information on the feature and why it isn't showing up yet for members. However, members should still keep an eye out for the new search function since the app update indicates it should be rolling out right now.
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