Costco New Locations 2026: What 35 New Warehouses Mean for Your Brand Right Now
- alexsteinbergmojo
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
If you have been waiting for the right moment to get serious about the Costco channel, that moment is right now. And we mean that literally — because Costco just announced one of its most aggressive retail expansion plans in company history, and the window of opportunity it creates for brands ready to move is enormous.
Costco is planning a total of 35 new locations in fiscal year 2026, which ends in August 2026 — up from 24 net-new warehouse stores the previous fiscal year. Poast Ecommerce That is not just a headline. For brand owners who understand how the Costco channel works, that is a starting gun.
At MOJO Sales & Branding, we have spent over 20 years helping brands navigate the Costco ecosystem. We know what this kind of expansion means in practical terms — for buyer conversations, for roadshow opportunities, for shelf placement, and for the overall competitive landscape inside one of the world's most powerful retail channels. This blog breaks it all down.
The Scale of Costco's New Locations 2026 Expansion — By the Numbers
Let's start with the facts, because the scale of what Costco is doing right now is genuinely remarkable.
The retailer currently operates a total of 914 warehouse stores, with the majority — 629 — in the U.S., as well as 110 stores in Canada.
The 35 new locations planned for fiscal 2026 include five relocations, making for a net-new increase of 30 stores.
Costco currently operates 923 warehouses, including 633 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 114 in Canada, 42 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, three in France, two in Sweden, and one each in Iceland and New Zealand.
And the expansion is not stopping in 2026. Costco plans to open more than 30 sites each year for the foreseeable future as part of a wider $6.5 billion expansion strategy.
That is a retailer that is not just growing — it is aggressively scaling its global footprint with one of the most committed long-term expansion strategies in all of retail. For brands, this is not background noise. It is the single most important development in the club store channel right now.
Why Costco New Locations 2026 Creates a Massive Opening for Brands
Here is what most brand owners do not realize about Costco's expansion strategy: new locations do not just mean more shelf space. They mean new buyer conversations, new roadshow slots, new market opportunities, and — critically — a Costco organization that is actively looking for brands to fill those new warehouses with compelling, high-performing products.
When Costco opens a new location, it needs to stock it. That means buyers are evaluating new brands, new categories, and new SKU configurations to build out the assortment for that market. Costco often expands to relieve pressure on busy stores, tending to expand in markets adjacent to existing warehouses.
This means new locations are opening in markets that already have proven Costco member demand — markets that are primed for the kind of high-velocity product performance that keeps brands on the shelf.
For brands that are retail-ready and positioned correctly, Costco's 2026 expansion is one of the best commercial opportunities available in retail right now. But — and this is critical — the brands that capitalize on it will be the ones that are already prepared when the conversations happen. Not the ones scrambling to get ready after the fact.
The Strategic Cannibalization Strategy — What It Means for Your Brand
One of the most interesting elements of Costco's 2026 expansion is the strategy behind where new locations are being placed. CEO Ron Vachris calls the approach "strategic cannibalization" — the idea is to build new warehouses near overburdened locations to redistribute customer volume and improve the shopping experience. Path to Purchase Institute
Once a Costco location hits $300 million in sales, it starts to max out its parking lot, which weakens the customer experience. Opening a new location in a neighboring community relieves some of that pressure while giving the newer store an existing member base to serve.
What does this mean for brands? It means the new Costco locations opening in 2026 are not being placed in untested markets. They are being built in communities where Costco membership density is already high — where the member base is established, the purchasing behavior is proven, and the demand for high-quality products is built in. For brands entering the Costco channel in 2026, this is an extraordinarily favorable environment.
What Else Is Changing at Costco in 2026 — And Why It Matters for Brands
The new locations are the headline, but the full picture of Costco's 2026 evolution is even more compelling for brand owners paying attention. Here is what else is happening inside the Costco ecosystem this year:
Faster Checkout Technology Rolling Out Nationally
Costco is deploying pre-scan technology company-wide, with employees using handheld scanners to process items from shopping carts before customers reach the cashier — reducing wait times by up to 20%.
What this means for brands on the floor is a faster-moving, higher-volume member experience. Shoppers are spending less time in checkout lines and more time on the warehouse floor — which means more time in front of your booth, your shelf placement, and your demo table.
Membership Verification Getting Tighter
In 2026, Costco food courts will begin introducing an extra step to verify membership, with digital scanners requiring a membership card to place a food court order.
This is part of a broader trend toward tighter membership enforcement across the entire Costco experience. What it signals for brands is a Costco membership base that is becoming more defined, more committed, and more valuable as a target audience — members who are invested in the Costco experience and spending more per visit as a result.
International Expansion Creating Global Brand Opportunities
International expansion plans include a more than 200,000-square-foot store in Monterrey, Mexico — the largest Costco warehouse in Latin America — with additional stores planned in Mexico City, Puebla, and Queretaro beyond 2026.
For brands with international ambitions or product lines that resonate across markets, the scale of Costco's global expansion is an extraordinary opportunity to build truly global retail distribution through a single channel relationship.
Kirkland Signature Going Local — What It Means for Competing Brands
More Kirkland products will be sourced locally in 2026 and beyond as part of a strategy to cut the company's carbon footprint and minimize the impact of tariffs and other rising costs.
For branded product companies, this is a nuanced development. On one hand, Kirkland remains the dominant private label force in club retail. On the other hand, Costco's shift toward local sourcing creates space for regional brands with strong provenance stories and authentic origin narratives — exactly the kind of brand differentiation that resonates with Costco buyers evaluating their assortment.
How Smart Brands Are Positioning Right Now to Win Costco's 2026 Expansion
The brands that will win the Costco new locations opening in 2026 are not the ones that react to the expansion after it happens. They are the ones that are positioning right now — building buyer relationships, getting their packaging right, developing their Costco-specific SKUs, and running the roadshow programs that generate the performance data that makes a buyer say yes to a new placement.
Here is what that preparation looks like in practical terms:
Get your brand audit done now. Before any buyer conversation, you need an honest assessment of where your brand stands against Costco's standards — packaging, pricing, margin, product configuration, and brand positioning. This is not optional. It is the foundation of every successful Costco market entry.
Develop your Costco-specific SKU. New locations need new assortment options. Brands that come to the table with a club-exclusive configuration — thoughtfully designed for the Costco member and the club format — are dramatically more compelling than brands pitching their existing retail packaging in a larger size.
Build your digital presence now. Costco buyers look at your brand online. A strong social media presence, active content marketing, and documented consumer demand are increasingly important signals in the buyer evaluation process. Start building that evidence base before you walk into the meeting.
Partner with people who know the channel. The Costco expansion creates opportunity, but it also creates competition — more brands chasing more new locations means buyers are making decisions faster and with higher standards. Having the right partner in your corner, one who knows the buyers, knows the channel, and can guide your brand through the process with precision, is the highest-leverage investment you can make.
The Bottom Line on Costco New Locations 2026
Costco's president and CEO Ron Vachris put it clearly: "We continue to see significant opportunities for expansion both domestically and internationally across the markets where we currently operate."
That expansion is happening right now. New warehouses are opening. New buyer conversations are being had. New shelf space is being allocated. And the brands that are positioned and prepared to capitalize on this moment will build the kind of Costco relationships that compound in value for years.
At MOJO Sales & Branding, we have been helping brands navigate the Costco channel through every phase of its evolution for over two decades. We know how to position a brand for a new market entry, how to build the buyer relationships that open doors, and how to execute the roadshows and in-store programs that keep brands on Costco's shelf long after the opening buzz fades.
The opportunity is here. The question is whether your brand is ready to take it.
Call us today at 732.433.7873 or email Susan@MOJOSalesandBranding.com. Let's build your Costco strategy before the competition does.
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