The Strangest Things That Have Ever Happened At Costco – They’re Too Funny Not To Share
Costco is full of unexpected surprises. You might go in for just a few basics but somehow leave with a giant inflatable slide, a 72-pack of toilet paper, and a $300 trampoline—all while enjoying a tiny sample of something tasty. But it's not just the huge bulk deals that make Costco unique; it’s also the weird and often funny items you find on the shelves.
From shopping carts loaded with everything from a full-sized couch to a collection of garden gnomes, to strange food combinations that you’d only see in Costco’s giant aisles, this store always surprises you. Whether you watch someone try to buy a 10-gallon jar of pickles or spot a pre-lit Christmas tree in the middle of July, Costco is always an adventure filled with surprises.
Some Things Are Better Left Not Sampled
At first glance, it seems like Costco might have started handing out condom samples. Luckily, that's not true. Still, you can’t help but wonder how many people rushed over thinking they were.
We feel sorry for the girl working right next to the Trojan display, offering what looks like vitamin samples. Hopefully, she’ll be moved to a different spot soon because that must be an awkward situation for everyone..
Just A Heads Up
Costco makes sure the fine print on their products is clear so people can't take advantage of the store. In this case, they even put up a warning sign in the parking lot in case it ever floods.
We’re not sure what "100-year storm" they’re referring to, but now no one can complain if their car gets flooded since the warning is right there. Costco is always thinking ahead of its customers.
Old Fort For And Old...
For older folks, this isn't just cheddar cheese—it’s Old Fort cheese. We’re not sure what the real difference is besides the font size. The label clearly says "cheddar cheese," but you can choose what you want to see first.
The person who shared this photo said it’s their grandfather’s favorite “Old Fort.” Now we’re curious—what would be his least favorite? And what do the other Old Fort cheeses even taste like?
After You've Been In Costco For Hours
Sometimes a trip to Costco is an exciting adventure, and other times it feels like a total nightmare. We've all been there—stuck in the store so long that we finally give up and settle down on a comfy piece of furniture.
This stuffed bear looks just like someone whose mom has been browsing vacuums for hours. Or maybe it’s sad because no one has picked it up and taken it home yet.
BBQ Anyone?
Someone at Costco made a major blunder by placing laundry detergent on a BBQ grill. Either they have a twisted sense of humor or thought the BBQ was just a display stand.
It's also possible a customer pulled a prank on the store. Either way, we strongly advise against using laundry detergent for grilling. Sure, it might make your clothes smell fresh, but it definitely won’t make your food taste good.
Always Keep An Eye On Your Kids
Costco can definitely turn into a bit of a jungle gym for kids, especially with all the aisles to run through and large, enticing displays. You've got giant boxes, endless snacks, and, of course, those free samples that make it hard for kids (and adults) to resist wandering off to explore.
But when you see a kid stuck behind a freezer door like this, it’s both a little concerning and oddly relatable. Who wouldn’t want to cool off in a freezing freezer after working up a sweat running through the aisles? Hopefully, this little adventurer’s parents noticed the sudden chill and came to the rescue before it turned into a full-on frozen situation!
A 20-Year-Old's Dream Come True
It seems like this Costco has accidentally created the ultimate loophole for underage drinkers! The sign saying you're only allowed to buy alcohol if you're under 21 is definitely a head-scratcher, especially since the legal drinking age is *clearly* 21. But hey, for a college freshman just trying to get their hands on a bottle, this might seem like a golden opportunity to test the system.
If they only knew the confusion they were stepping into! One can imagine the hilarious moment when the cashier points out that, technically, it doesn't quite work that way. Guess some signs need a little more proofreading before they send anyone on a shopping spree!
Costco Rotisserie Chicken Is Best Served Hot
This person clearly knows how to make the most of their Costco chicken experience! Using a heating lamp to keep that golden bird nice and hot is a genius move. After all, no one wants to suffer through cold chicken when you could be enjoying it at its peak.
It's almost like a little *life hack* to keep the rotisserie chicken warm for your next round of snacks — though, at this rate, they might’ve already made a dent in it throughout the day. Imagine them just casually nibbling away as they shop, thinking, "Why not? This chicken’s too good to wait."
Next level Costco commitment, right there!
A Different Kind Of Remedy
While it's true that alcohol can kill bacteria in some cases, using it as a flu cure might be a bit of a stretch. Costco's suggestion of grabbing a handle of Kirkland vodka and hoping it works as some sort of flu vaccine is definitely an unconventional approach. Sure, it might temporarily numb the symptoms (and maybe even bring a little warmth to your soul), but curing the flu? Probably not.
Then again, maybe these bold Costco shoppers have unlocked some hidden "secret" to battling sickness — or they're just trying to turn their cold symptoms into an excuse to sip on some good vodka. Either way, I'm sure there’s a better, more medically-approved route than this "DIY flu cure" involving a cocktail.
Costco Is Thinning The Herd
Ah yes, the Tide Pod challenge—a moment in history we all wish we could forget. But leave it to Costco to throw caution to the wind and use it as an opportunity for...samples? Seriously, a Tide Pod sample station? That's like offering raw cookie dough at a baking class. It's a head-scratcher, for sure.
While other stores were frantically putting up safety measures to prevent a Tide Pod crisis, Costco seemed to embrace the chaos, possibly as some twisted form of survival of the fittest. But honestly, who thought this was a good idea? It's as if someone at Costco thought, "Well, if people want to do something dumb for internet clout, why not hand them the goods?"
Though it makes no sense from a business perspective, I suppose Costco just wanted to live on the edge of the retail world. But seriously, they might want to consider a "No Tide Pod Samples" policy for the future.
When Your Mom Says She Has To Run Into Costco Real Quick
We've all been there. You're driving in the car with your mom and the next thing you know, you're in the parking lot of Costco. She claims that she just has to "run in" and get a few things, but we all know what that means. You definitely don't want to go in with her, but you also know you might die of boredom in the car.
Looks like this poor soul made the decision to stay in the car. Legend says their mom is still shopping in Costco today.
That's Reassuring
Safety in the workplace should always be a concern. Nobody wants to get hurt while at work and nobody wants to get hurt on a trip to Costco. The fact that this Costco has only gone two days without injury is a little concerning. The real question is, was it an employee or a customer who was injured?
If I saw this I'd probably take my business somewhere else, for fear of a Kirkland car tire falling on my head.
How Do You Sample Toilet Paper?
One of the best things about Costco are the samples, everyone knows that. But we can all agree that it would be disappointing to see that one of the samples was toilet paper rather than food of some kind. How do you even sample toilet paper?
Do you just keep it in your back pocket until you need to use it? Or do you just feel it with your fingers before throwing it away? It's an odd sample no matter what.
Liquor On Tap!
Well, we guess we know where we can find the alcohol to put inside of that giant wine glass, just on the side of Costco. While we know that this pump doesn't actually contain any liquor, it's just another thing that isn't all that surprising to find at Costco.
For all we know, a truck does come each week full of Kirkland brand alcohol that is pumped through here and then bottled inside of the store.
Costco Hot Dogs In Mexico
For the most part, everyone loves Costco hot dogs. They're of relative quality and reasonably priced. Also, shopping at Costco can definitely work up an appetite, so it's the perfect option as you're walking out the door.
However, it looks like the Costco's in Mexico aren't messing around when it comes to their toppings. Not only do you get jalapenos, but they line the entire hot dogs, just to make sure that you aren't craving any extra heat. This dog is not for the faint of heart.
Decisions Were Made
Costco isn't always the best place to make healthy choices. They have so many options both healthy and not that often you may find yourself making the wrong decision. While this person was originally going to go with with the healthy coconut clusters with organic super seeds, it appears that the smoked shorty sausages caught their eye.
Let's be honest, nobody can be blamed for making this decision. Chances are, that bag of coconut clusters will remain there long after all the shorty sausages are gone.
There's Not A Lot Of Money In Revenge
Looks like Costco entourages their employees to have a little fun on the job. It's either that, or someone snuck in and got their hands on the nametag labeler. We're sure that anyone that's a fan of The Princess Bride really got a kick out of seeing someone walking around with this name tag.
We wonder if this employee also walked around with a sword attached to their side, although we highly doubt it.
Costco Employees Hard At Work
When a pigeon manages to get inside of Costco, it's up to the employees to get it out by any means possible. Looks like this employee decided to set a trap in hopes of capturing the bird before a customer asks to speak with the manager about it.
We're sure that the employee would rather do this than stock the shelves or hand out samples, so they probably pray for wild animals to get in the store all of the time.
Nothing Quite Like Some Chihuahua Cheese
If you're ever in the market for some cheese made from Chihuahuas, then Costco is the right place for you. They have no shortage of this product and apparently, it's great for tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and salads.
While this may seem like an unusual item in most other grocery stores, we all know that anything goes at Costco. We're also sure it pairs nicely with a Labrador quesadilla and some German Shepard salsa.
Future Warlord
You can buy literally anything at Costco, they even have an area designated to books of all kinds. While most little girls might pick up something by Dr. Seuss or a book about a princess, but not this one.
She picked out The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a book that is considered to be the most influential strategy text in East Asian warfare. That's definitely not a very light read but to each their own!
I'm Just Going To Have One Glass
We can't say that we're surprised that you can buy an unnecessarily-sized wine glass at Costco, but this is just absurd. You must be able to fit around five bottles of wine into that glass, which is enough to send anyone to the hospital.
Although it's a novelty item, we can't imagine anywhere that someone can fit this in their house without making it look like the inside of a sorority house. We just hope that it's plastic instead of glass or things could get messy.
Happens Every Time
This man's wife sent him to Costco in order to get some milk, which he did. However, he also happened to pick up a 65" flat screen television. While some people's significant others might be furious because of this, you also shouldn't send someone to Costco thinking that they wouldn't come back with a little something extra.
Most people's carts at Costco look similar to this because it's a trap for shoppers who just need a few things but can't control themselves.
A Sense Of Humor Is A Must
While this might not be the weirdest thing ever caught at Costco, we're laughing to hard not to include. Plus, working at a business as fast paced as Costco, we have no idea how the employee had time to draw this!
This joke must have uplifted this six-year-old's spirits. How could it not? They got a personalized joke on their pizza box with an adorable and extremely clever pun to read!
That's Not A Minion
This poor person though this yellow pole was a minion hiding at Costco. Apparently the store was holding a promotion for the movie characters at the time, and someone thought their store was going above and beyond.
Unfortunately it turned out to just be an oddly placed yellow pole. What is doing there? Who put it there? What is is supposed to do? We're confused, we thought these poles were supposed to be outside.
Freddy Krueger Found!
Retirement looks like it's going well for Freddy Krueger! The horror villain has taken off the claws and turned his sweater into a polo. It's clear he's more concerned about hunting down great deals then teenagers these days!
Of course, this isn't actually Freddy Krueger, but it is a convincing Halloween costume. We hope this man was wearing this getting in October, although the weather looks too nice for that.
The Best Costco Model
Is it us, or does this Costco model look exactly like Elijah Wood? We thought he could for the rest of his life off his Lord of the Rings money, so he must have done this shoot just for fun!
We're kidding, that model is not Elijah Wood, but you have to admit there is a resemblance. It's something about the eyes, hairline, and smiles. They might actually be long lost siblings!
Burn It Down
These are not he heating instructions Costco should be out. First off, if your oven can get to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit that's highly impressive, but be careful because you might end up burning your house down.
For this particular instruction, we're going to assume Costco made a typo and didn't properly check to make sure their instructions were correct. Unfortunately, they messed up the most important part of the instructions.
Incident Reported
Something happened on this couch making it unsellable at the moment. The costco employees who found it labeled it, "incident report couch." We don't want to know exactly what incident was reported, but we have some ideas.
Whatever happened, but must have been pretty bad to force the note. It should probably be taken off the sales floor. Seriously, would you buy a couch with this unsettling label on it?
A Healthy Haul
On the surface this looks like a pretty typical Costco haul. All the signs are there; the trunk is full, food is packaged in bulk, an it's all healthy. Wait, what was that?
This car trunk is full of healthy food! Whoever was shopping must have incredible willpower to go to Costco and not buy a single unhealthy item! When we shop there it "accidentally" ends up in our cart and then we "have to buy it."
Leak Protection - Costco Style
Which brilliant Costco employee came up with this leak prevention device? We're guessing one of the new one. This trash can is not stopping the floor from getting wet, it's just slowing down the process.
At least they thought they were solving the problem. That's what the note indicated anyways. The good news is it doesn't look like there is actually a leak. The bad news begins if one starts...
It Could Have Been Worse
Someone shared this photo of a toilet at Costco and we have to say, it’s a pretty good joke. If someone happens to look inside the bowl, they’re in for a surprise. And it’s worth pointing out that this could have been much, much worse if it were an actual turd.
We’re going to go ahead and guess that the age of the jokester is about…. 21 years old. There might even be a chance that they work there, considering they have access to cardboard and a pen.
Waldo Found: Game Over
There are some things you expect to see at Costco, and then there are gems like this. One guy was shopping around Costco and happened to spot Waldo! Is there any way that this guy was accidentally dressed like Waldo? This must be intentional...
A reddit user captioned the picture: “It only took an hour, but I found Waldo at Costco today.” Well that’s a productive day. Enjoy a couple of samples on your way out, sir. You won.
Probably Should Have Done That In A Different Order
We get it, when nature calls, you have to answer. But really, this guy could have planned better. This photo was snapped in a Costco bathroom. Someone obviously was excited to get their slice of Costco pizza, but didn’t realize that they also needed to use the restroom.
Instead of leaving the slice on the table like a normal person, they decided to bring the pizza into the bathroom with them…. And even set it on the bathroom floor. Yuck.
Well This Is Awkward
A woman tried to do something nice for her company, and of course, no good deed goes unpunished. So of course the custom cake that she ordered to say “Keep up the hard work!” arrived with a typo.
Instead, it encourages, “Keep up the hard wood!” which is going to be very, very awkward to present to coworkers without some wide eyes and a visit from HR. It’s better to just take that cake home.
Everything Is Bigger At Costco
Yes, even the avocados at Costco exceed all expectations…. This could seriously confuse a few folks who aren’t properly educated in fruit. And yes, avocados are a fruit!
Avocados have a reputation of going bad before you’re able to enjoy them-- they’re just never quite right. We couldn’t imagine finding the right timing to eat an avocado of this size. You could feed a family of eight with that thing. We can all rest easy knowing these are in fact, watermelons.
It's A Big Store
A day shopping at Costco feels like the equivalent of running six miles. The store is just so big! It’s clear that it isn’t this guy’s first rodeo. Oh, no. He planned this out the night before and came prepared.
This resourceful shopper brought his hoverboard and his headphones along with him to Costco. It makes the shopping experience much easier and more enjoyable. We’re taking notes… notes from a genius.
Costco Beer?!.... Pass
Costco’s Kirkland label went a little too far with this one. There are plenty of things that we would trust to buy under the store’s own label, but beer is not on that list.
Although they try to make the packaging look fierce, racey, and attractive… it’s still Kirkland beer, and we’re not buying it. Of course their packs are bigger than most… 48 cans! Still-- no. We cannot and will not show up at a BBQ with this.
Overwhelmed With Options
Dasani knew what they were doing with this water bottle vending machine at Costco. Who knew water could be so sassy? They decided to remark, “decisions, decisions” while offering customers eight options of the SAME water. More like “water, water, water, water, water, water, water, water.”
Some people need more simplicity in their life. And maybe fewer calories and sugar in their diet, too. So we’ll take Dasani’s side with this one.
