What Is A Costco Business Center, And Are You Allowed To Shop There?

With over 600 stores across the country, shopping at Costco is easy for members wherever they are. Although the size and layout of the warehouses vary slightly by location, they all tend to resemble one another. Unless, of course, you're shopping at a Costco Business Center. There are only 28 of these spread across the country, with nearly half in California alone. You can shop at any of them as long as you're a Costco member, but you should be prepared for a slightly different shopping experience.

So, what's the difference between Costco Business Centers and the standard wholesale warehouses? As the name suggests, Costco Business Centers aren't primarily intended for individual consumers. The Business Centers cater more to professional customers, such as restaurants and any businesses that may need products in bulk. For example, if you work at a large office that provides coffee for employees, they might buy it at the Business Center to save money. Products aren't just sold in bulk; they can even be purchased by the pallet.

This doesn't mean you can't get most of what you expect from a Costco. You still can, often in greater quantities. They still sell groceries and meat, but you'll also find office supplies and equipment used in food service and other industries. Even the groceries they offer may be in larger quantities than you're used to. For instance, if you like Kirkland hot dogs, you can get a case of 120 of them at the Business Center. If that's too much, they also carry the standard 14-pack.

Costco says about 70% of the items you can find at a Business Center aren't available at a normal Costco warehouse (and there are also many Costco items you won't find at the Business Centers). You can also shop at the Costco location earlier with a Business Center, which opens at 7:00 a.m., compared to 10:00 a.m. for regular warehouses.

Because Business Centers don't carry items like clothing or sporting goods, they're able to offer larger selections of beverages like bottled water and soft drinks. Convenience stores are one of the Business Centers' clients, which means they not only carry expanded selections of soft drinks, but chocolate and candy, too. Anything you find at the corner store you can find, in bulk, at a Costco Business Center.

You should also be aware that Business Centers generally don't have the iconic Costco food courts, so if you're looking for that hot dog combo, you may be out of luck. Only four of the 28 have food courts, and fewer than half sell gasoline. You won't find a tire center or pharmacy at any of them either, except in Salt Lake City and Honolulu, where the Business Centers are combined with regular warehouses. If you're near a Business Center, especially if you're in the mood for drinks or snacks you won't find at your regular Costco, it's worth checking out. But be forewarned: Business Centers don't offer free samples, either.