Worst time to shop at Costco may be when you least expect it, with one day drawing the most crowds

In order to avoid large crowds and a chaotic shopping experience, customers might want to stay away from Costco on certain afternoons.

The busiest and slowest times to shop at Costco may vary by location, but Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. might be the worst time to go to the warehouse retailer, Simply Recipes reported.

“I stopped by once on a Sunday afternoon, just to see how it was, and it was crazy. Never doing that again,” a Reddit user wrote in a Costco thread.

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“I’ve learned the hard way not to shop on Sundays,” another added, recalling that the line snaked all the way to the back of the store.

Fox News Digital reached out to Costco, headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, for comment.

Midweek shopping can be tough for those who work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Weekends understandably bring lots of traffic to grocery stores, as many people are off from work and stocking up for the week ahead.

Shopping on Monday might make for a more peaceful experience due to fewer crowds.

However, if customers want fully stocked shelves, it might be wiser to go to Costco on a Tuesday or Wednesday, as the stores supplies are most likely to be replenished by then, Southern Living noted.

“In my experience, having lived all over the country, Tuesdays earlier in the day seem to be the best option,” one Reddit user said. 

“In general, I would avoid Friday, Saturday, Sunday [and] Monday at any time,” the same person added. 

“Tuesday, Wednesday [and] Thursday are generally safe bets, especially earlier in the day.”

A different person noted that going early or late in the day, particularly on a weekday, has proven to be a smart strategy. 

“First hour or last hour seems to be the best times in general. … Going after 6:30pm on a weeknight seems to be the best for my Costco,” the person said.  

Costco raked in $297.3 billion during the 2025 fiscal year, an increase of 10.2% from $269.9 billion last year, according to the company’s website.

Many Costco locations are likely to see a high volume of shoppers the day before a holiday, especially if the store is closed on that holiday, The Takeout reported.

Costco warehouses are typically open seven days a week for members, and customers can find store operating hours and holiday closures on the website.