Costco Extends Senior Shopping Hours Indefinitely — and More Changes Amid COVID-19 Resurgence
Samantha McDonald
Business Editor
Costco has made changes to its in-store shopping hours amid the coronavirus pandemic’s resurgence across the country.
The membership-only warehouse club announced over the weekend that its special operating hours for customers aged 60 and older, as well as those with disabilities or who are immunocompromised, have been extended “until further notice.”
Locations are now open from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. from Monday to Friday for such shoppers as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in certain parts of the United States. However, some locations have their own exceptions, including the below:
- Phoenix: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Mesa and Southeast Gilbert
- Los Angeles: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Alhambra, Burbank, Chino Hills, City of Industry, Culver City, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Hawthorne, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, Lakewood, Los Feliz, Monterey Park, Northridge, Norwalk, Oxnard, Pacoima, San Bernardino, Signal Hill, Torrance, Tustin, Van Nuys and Woodland Hills
- San Francisco: From 8 a.m to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Foster City, Great Oaks, Hayward, Northeast San Jose and Richmond; from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Almaden, Cal Expo, Danville, El Camino, Folsom, Fremont, Livermore, Modesto, Redwood City, Reno, Richmond, Sacramento, Salinas, San Francisco, San Leandro, Santa Cruz, South San Francisco and Sunnyvale; from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Antioch, Carson City, Chico, Citrus Heights, Clovis, Elk Grove, Eureka, Fairfield, Fresno, Gilroy, Hanford, Lodi, Manteca, Merced, Mountain View, North Fresno, Novato, Rancho Cordova, Rohnert Park, Redding, Roseville, San Jose, Sandcity, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Sparks, Stockton, Tracy, Turlock, Ukiah, Vacaville, Vallejo, Visalia and Woodland
- San Diego: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Carmel Mountain, Mission Valley, Rancho Del Rey and Temecula
- Newark, Del.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Iwilei, Hawaii: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Wheaton, Md.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Massachusetts: From 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., daily
- Albuquerque, N.M: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Las Vegas, N.V.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Centennial, Henderson, Southwest Henderson and Summerlin
- Dedham, N.J.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Teterboro, N.J.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Wayne, N.J.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Brooklyn, N.Y.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Staten Island, N.Y.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Westbury, N.Y.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- St. George, Utah: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Virginia: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, for the following locations: Chantilly, Fairfax, Newington, Pentagon City and Sterling
- Washington, D.C.: From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
- Oregon: From 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday
What’s more, Costco has doubled down on its face mask policy: According to the company, entry will not be granted to shoppers who aren’t wearing a covering for their mouths and noses. Individuals who are unable to wear a face mask due to medical conditions must wear a face shield.
Up until mid-November, the retailer’s face mask policy — which was introduced in early May — exempted customers who couldn’t wear a covering due to a medical condition.
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“This updated policy may seem inconvenient to some; however, we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience,” president and CEO Craig Jelinek added in a statement issued last month. “Our goal is to continue to provide a safe shopping environment for our members and guests and to provide a safe work environment for our employees.”
Costco has also enforced limits on the purchase of certain “high-demand merchandise” as well as “everyday favorites” as retailers prepare for a possible second wave of panic-buying. When the COVID-19 outbreak touched down in the U.S. back in March, shoppers headed out in droves to big-box chains, grocers and convenience stores to stock up on basics like toilet paper, canned goods and sanitizing products. As a purveyor of essentials, Costco has stayed open even as lockdown measures forced other retailers to temporarily shut down operations.
