Your favorite section to browse is back at Costco!
If there’s something you’re looking to buy, chances are that Costco’s got it. Fresh groceries? Check. New tires? Check. New wardrobe? Check. Vacation packages? Costco has those too. But there’s one thing that’s been noticeably absent from Costco stores over the last year, and shoppers have been missing it so much that the Costco team took note. Now, the beloved item is returning to stores, which means your next trip to Costco is about to be even more exciting than ever.
Keep reading to find out which fan-favorite item is back on Costco shelves—trust us, you’ll want to pull up a chair and get cozy for this one.
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What item is returning to stores?
After nearly a year, books are finally returning to Costco stores! Costco sold books for many years, but the store stopped selling them, much to the disappointment of many Costco fans who love reading almost as much as they love Costco’s food-court specials, cheap gas and famous rotisserie chickens.
What types of books will Costco be selling?
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Just like the good old days when books were a permanent fixture in Costco stores, you’ll be able to choose from a wide selection of genres and titles. The selection of books will include children’s books and sticker books, calendars, bestselling novels, nonfiction titles, cookbooks and more. There’s bound to be something for every reader at the Costco book tables!
When did books leave Costco?
Books were once a staple in Costco stores, but the retailer announced in December 2024 that it would no longer carry them. The decision wasn’t made lightly, and it ultimately came down to how much manual labor it took to unpack and stack new titles, not to mention the added work of repacking titles that didn’t sell to send back to the publisher. It was impossible for Costco to sustain while trying to keep costs low, which Costco manages to do by using minimal labor.
Will books be available in every store?
Books will be available in most warehouses once they make their return to Costco’s shelves, but not all. There are some stores that won’t have them, and while we don’t know which ones are on the list, there’s a good chance that some of those locations may be in parts of the country like Alaska and Hawaii, where shipping heavy items like books prevents additional logistical challenges.
How long will books be back in stores?
Books may be back, but not for good. Costco’s book section is returning for a limited time only, just in time for the holidays. “Most warehouses will have a selection of books, something many of you have been asking for, from September through December. I hope you’ll find some good reading this season,” said Peter Gruening, Costco’s senior vice president of membership and marketing, in the September issue of Costco Connection magazine.
Still, books do pop up every now and then at Costco stores, even though there’s no longer a designated, year-round books section like there used to be. So it’s safe to say that when you spot books in-store, you should load up! They’re still one of the best things to buy at Costco.
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Source:
- Costco Connection: September 2025 Issue
