Costco Wholesale — one of money expert Clark Howard’s favorite stores — is on a tear right now with sales climbing in November thanks to strong performance across a variety of departments.
But have you ever wondered what’s really selling at Costco? We’ve uncovered some interesting tidbits after listening to an investor call that accompanied the release of the warehouse club’s November sales results.
Here are the best-selling product categories at Costco right now
The latest info culled from Costco’s most recent sales results shows the following categories are hot at the warehouse club both in the United States and Canada:
- Candy
- Tobacco
- Sundries
- Frozen foods
- Automotive
- Sports
- Major appliances
- Small appliances
- Home furnishings
- Apparel
- Kiosk services
- Meat
- Deli
- Bakery
- Gas
- Optical department
- Food court
Notably missing from this list is pharmacy. Costco has long held a reputation for offering some of the best prices on medications, though it was recently undersold substantially by a relatively unknown competitor in a price-comparison test done by Consumer Reports.
That said, one thing that’s nice about the Costco pharmacy is you don’t need to be a member to fill your prescription there. Some locations even have a separate entrance for non-members that leads directly into the pharmacy.
Meanwhile, another best-seller — the hearing aid services that Costco offers — is also available to non-members who want an exam or screening.
But if you need to buy a hearing aid — or glasses or contacts, for that matter — you must have a membership, or a friend who does so they can accompany you and buy what you need on your behalf.
That said, frugal shoppers know that a Costco membership will pay for itself, so it pays to consider joining!