What Costco staff are really checking when you leave

Costco is continuing its Aussie expansion, with two new sites planned for 2027.

As the Costco craze continues to sweep Australia, more and more shoppers with an eye for detail are learning the ins and outs of how the US retail chain operates.

Two new stores are scheduled to open in 2027 in Victoria and Western Australia, joining the existing suite of 15 sites across the country.

While Costco is building a lucrative commercial property portfolio across Australia, with estimated annual sales of $5 billion, it is what goes on inside the stores that has Aussies fascinated.

Entry via membership only makes the experience feel exclusive, vast aisles and shelves keep customers looking for longer, constantly rotating stock creates a FOMO culture with shoppers, seemingly cheap electronics make people think the regular groceries must be an absolute bargain.

It is all part of the ‘psychology of Costco’ that keep people shopping for more for longer and it has ensured the brand’s success in Australia despite its relatively small commercial footprint compared the likes of Woolworths and Coles.

MORE: Shock reason Costco, Aldi reject big Aus city

Thousands of Aussies have embraced Costco culture. Picture: Grace Frost

MORE: Costco takeover: New Aus store announced

But as more and more Aussies open themselves up to the Costco experience, some of the global giant’s smaller secrets are gradually being exposed.

Aussie journalist and keen Costco shopper Jo Abi recently discovered what’s really going on when shoppers get their receipts checked by staff upon exiting the store.

As Abi explains, Costco staff aren’t checking what you’ve bought at all. It’s how much that seems to matter.

“As we were exiting the store, there was an unexpected lull. It was just us and the staffer, with no other shoppers lined up behind us,” Abi said on 9 Honey.

“I handed our receipt to the female staffer and she slowly and loudly counted each of the items in our hands. There were nine. She then looked down at our receipt and counted that there were nine items listed. She literally said, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine!”, just like that.

“The staffer then drew a dramatic orange line down the middle of our receipt with her marker, and we were on our way.

MORE: Aus giant’s new trolleys about to change everything

Jo Abi is a regular Costco shopper but is still learning new things about the retailer’s operations. Picture: Nine

“She didn’t check that the correct items had been scanned, she was just ensuring the numbers lined up.”

Counting the number of items without noting what the items are seems like a gap in Costco’s security. After all, what is stop someone paying for a potato but walking out with a television. One item. Tick.

A recent study conducted by Griffith University has shed light on the mounting challenges faced by retailers in Australia and New Zealand, with theft-related losses escalating significantly in the post-pandemic period.

The research highlights a concerning trend, revealing that retail crime has grown at a rate far exceeding revenue growth in the sector.

Between 2022 and 2024, losses in the retail industry surged by nearly 30 per cent, while retail revenue saw a comparatively modest increase of just over nine per cent during the same period.

Overall losses after the introduction of self checkout has been reported between three to four percent, compared to one percent with traditional cashiers.

Jo Abi was surprised to learn Costco wasn’t checking what she bought on a recent shop, just how many. Picture: Nine

The disparity underscores the growing impact of losses in the retail sector, which is struggling to recover from the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

External theft was identified as the predominant contributor to retail losses, accounting for a staggering 71 per cent of the total losses in Australia.

This highlights the urgent need for retailers to implement robust security measures, which highlights the inefficiencies of systems similar to the current Costco model.

But, with hundreds of customers every day and thousands of items sold, it would be impossible to check everything, Abi points out.

“It makes sense – there’s no way staffers would have time to check each and every item in customer’s trolleys, and there’s only so much businesses can do to reduce theft,” she said.

Costco currently has 15 sites open across Australia including four in Victoria, four in NSW, three in Queensland, two in Western Australia and one each in South Australia and the ACT.

Tasmania and the Northern Territory are yet to get their own Costco and, despite growing calls from residents to get one.

Costco opened its first store in Australia in 2009.