Costco Will Open a New Warehouse In the Midwest

Costco is just one of the major grocery stores preparing to open new locations in the near future, and for the popular membership-based chain, that includes a new warehouse in the Midwest. More specifically, in Fruitport Township, Mich., according to Supermarket News.

The new warehouse, which will also be a fuel facility, is set to be built on what is currently almost 80 acres of vacant land valued at $769,800. "This development fits into the township master plan along with the downtown development authority. Costco is a huge plus for Fruitport and Norton shores," Fruitport Township Supervisor Todd Dunham said in a statement, according to WZZM 13.

The residents of the area seem to agree. A public meeting was recently held by the town's planning commission which involved possible approval for both site plan and construction. After receiving plenty of support from the community, the proposal also earned unanimous approval from the Fruitport Charter Township Planning Commission.

While Costco has 16 locations across the state of Michigan, there are only three in West Michigan, including in Grand Rapids, Grandville, and Kalamazoo. There's no news yet as to when the new warehouse in Fruitport Township will open. The chain has quite a few projects in the works to wrap up this year, including new locations in Newark, Calif., Stockbridge, Ga., and Noblesville, In., to name a few. That's not to mention new international locations in places such as Toronto, Canada, as well as both Shenzhen and Hangyong, China.

10 Costco Items That Are Way More Expensive Anywhere Else

In December 2022, Costco announced plans to open 24 new stores during the fiscal year, which would add to the 847 locations already serving shoppers. Along with 583 in the United States and Puerto Rico, there were also 107 in Canada at the time, 40 in Mexico, and 31 in Japan. The United Kingdom has 29 Costco locations, while Korea has 18, Taiwan and Australia each have 14, Spain has four, and France and China have two each. Anyone living in Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden can also stop by their local Costco, but only if they happen to live near the single location in each country.

As for the new warehouse in Fruitport Township, despite the fact that it was just approved, residents may not have to wait too long for the doors to open. "We can build a metal warehouse store—from foundation to opening—in 110 days. The typical schedule for a conventional construction process is 160 to 180 days," said Ali Moayeri, senior VP of construction for Costco, according to Chain Store Age. In that case, people living in the area might want to start making their grocery lists now so that they're ready as soon as the doors open. We suggest items that make Costco members lose all self-control (in a good way, of course).