Monday, June 23, 2025

Why do Mexicans love Costco so much?

Since moving to Mexico three years ago I’ve been fascinated — and a bit perplexed — by the passion many Mexicans have for Costco. 

It’s just a store, right?

Façade of a Costco store
There’s brand loyalty and then there’s Costco loyalty. (Players of Life)

I used to work as a retail analyst on Wall Street. My job back then was to figure out which companies could attract a loyal following with unique products that drove consistent profits, which signaled an investment opportunity.

I left that work long ago but am still intrigued by businesses that develop a “secret sauce” that has customers falling over themselves to shop there, despite easier alternatives.

What it’s like shopping at Costco in Mexico

Never been to a Costco in Mexico? Let me give you a taste of what it’s like here in Guadalajara. 

The manager of Costco’s store on the city’s west side claims his is the busiest in all of Mexico. I believe him. Shopping there feels like entering a Ninja Warrior competition without training — or a sanity test no one asked for.

The first challenge is parking. This Costco’s parking lot is always jammed with slow-moving cars circling like predator sharks waiting for a spot to open up. I admit that we once left our car in a fire lane after circling for 15 minutes and failing to find one. Nothing happens when you do this in Guadalajara.

Inside a Costco store
The inside of a Mexican Costco store. Shutterstock)

Next, you must get your hands on an empty shopping cart. On weekends, it’s common to see a line of customers queued up at the entrance waiting for one to be surrendered. 

  • Pro tip: You’ll have no trouble finding an abandoned cart inside the store, most likely by someone who crumbled after seeing the length of the checkout lines.

Once inside, you’ll see families pushing carts overflowing with electronics, clothing, enormous  packages of snack food and so on. Most will push these heavy loads around until they arrive within 10 feet of the checkout counter. Then they’ll hurriedly cast off items they don’t really need but grabbed impulsively. 

As this ritual gets repeated over and over, the checkout area starts to resemble retail chaos. I pity the employees who have to deal with the aftermath. 

Once you’ve finished shopping and are ready to pay, your commitment and loyalty to Costco is truly put to the test. Each checkout line can stretch half the store’s length, requiring another 45-minute wait. 

It’s enough to have you questioning if you really need that fancy air fryer, four-pack of toothpaste, and kilo of Norwegian smoked salmon right now. You may begin wondering:

 

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Can I still salvage this day if I leave now, or do I suck it up and kill this time by reading my entire phone? Most stick it out since it’s the easiest way to get your parking validated.

My husband has endured exactly two Costco visits in Mexico. The last one left such an impression that he swore he’d never return. While gringos may not put up with this, Mexicans seem more than willing to suffer for their love of Costco products.

What Mexicans love about Costco

When I asked some local friends to explain Costco’s allure, they described the “abundance” they find there, with one declaring, “They have everything. Everything!”

To my eye, Costco Mexico is selling a privileged lifestyle that’s catnip for fresas, or posh, elitist urbanites. Where else in Mexico can you find Ninja blenders, Dom Perignon champagne, Norwegian smoked salmon and Tommy Bahama beach gear in the same place? 

By the numbers, only 4% of Costco’s 133 million worldwide members are in Mexico. But that figure includes both personal and business accounts. Probably no more than 2% of Mexican households are Costco members.

But that doesn’t mean only 2% of Mexicans consume Costco products. 

I see mom-and-pop grocers around Guadalajara advertising that they sell Costco pastries. There are entire stores in expat haven Ajijic devoted to selling Costco’s Kirkland brand products at a hefty markup. Demand appears insatiable.

One Mexican woman took it a step further. 

Late last year, social media influencer Ximena Figueroa managed to buy 970 rosca de reyes cakes from Guadalajara Costco stores ahead of the Three Kings’ Day holiday. She resold them all at a premium in nearby Colima — which doesn’t have a Costco — netting a profit of 164,900 pesos (US $8,600)!  

That takes some bravado, ingenuity, and a real passion for Costco pastry.

One possible explanation

A woman with a truck full of costco rosca de Reyes
Entrepreneurial Mexicans have been reselling Costco items in states that don’t have access to a store, sometimes for thousands of dollars in profit. (Sayra de la Cruz/Facebook)

Does anyone truly know why? Perhaps the Mexican obsession with Costco is best understood through a cultural lens.

As one Guadalajara native told me, it’s the exclusivity Costco represents that certain Mexicans crave. To those who can afford it, shopping at Costco feels like being part of an elite club. After all, you have to be a card-carrying member to get in the door.

Buying an annual Costco membership in Mexico costs 600 pesos but is usable anywhere in the world. To a gringo that may sound like a bargain, with Costco memberships in the United States now going for US $65. 

But it’s no bargain for Mexicans when you adjust for income. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average household income in Mexico is US $16,200, or less than one-third the U.S. average. So buying a Costco membership represents even more of a stretch to the average Mexican than the average American.

In other words, shopping at Costco in Mexico is one way of signaling that you’ve made it.

Another thing I’ve noticed living in Guadalajara is that Mexicans generally embrace their multi-ethnic background but are very class-conscious. The wealthy generally don’t mix with the lower classes.

A Costco food court
This is what making it looks like. (Helen89/Instagram)

Maybe this is why well-to-do Mexicans love Costco so much. They feel good about shopping somewhere that’s literally a club, sells high prestige imported goods and is effectively out of reach for ordinary people.

Guadalajara welcomes its third Costco this summer

For those who can’t get enough Costco, the city’s third store is set to open shortly on the north side, a mere five minutes from my house. 

Last month I began seeing five-star reviews pop up for the new location on Google Maps. Curious to check it out, I pedaled over on my bicycle one recent Sunday morning.

When I arrived, I found the entrance blocked by orange fencing and an unpaved parking lot. For some locals, I guess just the idea of a new Costco was worthy of five stars.

When it does finally open, I can guarantee you won’t be running into my husband there.

After discovering that life in Mexico was a lot more fun than working in Corporate America, Dawn Stoner moved to Guadalajara in 2022, where she lives with her husband, two cats and Tapatío rescue dog. Her blog livewellmexico.com helps expats live their best life south of the border.

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