Costco shoppers know the warehouse experience is built around discovery. One trip might turn up a bargain on cookware, another a surprisingly good vacation package or a product you never planned to buy. But one of the retailer’s lesser-known ways to score member-only savings has quietly disappeared, and even some loyal Costco shoppers are only now discovering what they had access to.
Costco Next, an online program that connected members with discounted products sold directly by participating brands, is no longer available. Visitors to the program’s website are now met with a straightforward message: “Access to Costco Next storefronts is no longer available.” Costco has not publicly explained why the service was discontinued, according to USA TODAY and The Independent.
The closure appears to have happened with little fanfare, which has become almost as much of a talking point as the loss of the discounts themselves. “It’s weird they didn’t release any news about this,” one Reddit user wrote, according to Allrecipes. Another called it “super disappointing,” adding that prices from many participating brands had been “really good.” For members who regularly checked the site before buying something elsewhere, a useful Costco shopping shortcut is suddenly gone.
The Costco Deal You Had to Know About
Costco Next worked differently from shopping on Costco.com. Rather than Costco selling and shipping the merchandise itself, members could use their Costco membership to access special pricing from participating manufacturers. Shoppers logged in with their membership information and then purchased directly from the brands, giving Costco a way to extend its value proposition well beyond what could fit inside a warehouse.
The idea dated back to 2016, according to Costco Next assistant general merchandise manager Nino Garcia, although he said it did not fully materialize until a few years later. The program eventually included a wide assortment of companies and products. Brands reported as participants included Anker, Briggs & Riley, Caraway, Travelpro, Viking Culinary, Priority Bicycles and others, covering everything from electronics and luggage to cookware and bikes.
For shoppers who used it, the appeal could be substantial. One Reddit commenter quoted by The Independent said they had outfitted an entire landscape with Volt lighting through Costco Next and saved “many hundreds” compared with buying directly without the Costco discount. Another said they had purchased several Briggs & Riley pieces along with Anker and Soundcore products through the program. Costco Next was never as visible as a rotisserie chicken or a Kirkland Signature bargain, but some members had clearly worked it into the way they shopped.
Why the Sudden Ending Is Puzzling
Costco has not publicly given a reason for shutting the program down, making attempts to explain its disappearance largely speculative. There were signs, however, that awareness may have been uneven. As news of the closure circulated online, one Facebook commenter quoted by Allrecipes admitted, “I don’t even know what a Costco Next is.” A Reddit user similarly joked that learning about the service on the day it disappeared “might be part of the reason it’s gone.”
There could also be some lingering confusion for people who already bought something through Costco Next. Because purchases were made from the participating companies rather than Costco itself, the closure notice directs shoppers to the relevant vendors for eligible returns and warranty questions. Allrecipes reported that one Reddit user had described confusion among customers who attempted to return Costco Next merchandise to Costco rather than to the original seller.
What makes the shutdown particularly notable is that the program had shown signs of growth not long ago. During Costco’s third-quarter 2025 earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said Costco Next generated as much sales during the three months ending May 11, 2025, as it had during the entire 2022 fiscal year. “We are excited about the pipeline of new vendors in development for future rollout,” he said at the time. A little more than a year later, the storefronts are no longer accessible.
Costco Is Still Growing
The disappearance of Costco Next comes as the company continues expanding elsewhere. Costco has been adding warehouses across the country, with new locations opening in cities including Albany, New York; Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; Otsego, Minnesota; Stone Mountain, Georgia; and multiple Texas communities. The company has been pursuing plans to add 26 new locations in 2026, according to reporting cited by The Independent.
For Costco Next shoppers, however, the more immediate concern may be what happens to deals they had been considering. Allrecipes reported that some Reddit users who contacted individual vendors were told that Costco Next pricing would temporarily be honored or that similar deals were available. Those arrangements are not guaranteed, so shoppers with an outstanding purchase, return or warranty issue are being directed to contact the relevant brand.
Costco Next may ultimately be remembered as one of those membership benefits that was valuable precisely because not everyone knew about it. Some members found substantial savings; others apparently learned it existed only after it vanished. Either way, the program’s quiet ending closes an unusual side door into the Costco bargain hunt — one that didn’t require navigating a crowded warehouse or pushing an oversized shopping cart.
