Costco Is Opening 31 New Locations in 2024. Is This a Sign You Need a Membership?

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At the start of the year, Costco had 871 warehouses worldwide. By the end of the year, the popular retailer hopes to push that total over the 900 mark.

That's right, the world's favorite warehouse club started out 2024 aiming to open a total of 31 new warehouses this year. And so far, it seems to be on track.

Costco opened three new warehouses last month (July 2024). And the retailer expects to open another 11 over the next three months.

New warehouses expected in the next three months

The retailer has a busy season ahead -- and not just here in the U.S. Only six of the 11 new warehouses will be in North America:

• Tomball, Texas
• Covington, Louisiana
• Ridgefield, Washington
• Napa, California
• Bend, Oregon
• Pleasanton, California

The other five warehouses will open on multiple continents, with two locations in Japan and one each in Korea, Spain, and Australia.

Only three U.S. states are missing a Costco location

Even without 31 new stores, Costco's global footprint is massive. It's especially impressive in the U.S., where it started. According to Costco's store locator, the retail giant is only missing from three states:

• Rhode Island
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

That doesn't mean everyone else is Costco-rich, though. The District of Columbia has just one Costco location, as do these six states:

• Vermont
• South Dakota
• New Hampshire
• Mississippi
• Maine
• Delaware
• Arkansas

At the other end of the spectrum, we have California, with 139 warehouses, followed by Texas (41 locations), Washington (34), and Florida (33). Given that Costco's business model is based on quantity over large margins, it makes sense that the retailer focuses on population-dense areas.

Should you jump on the bandwagon?

If you live near a Costco location, then giving a membership a try is kind of an easy decision in my book. Here are just a few of the reasons why it might be worth the credit card charge.

Kirkland Signature products are good value and quality

Costco's house brand, Kirkland Signature, is extremely popular among members. It's not only affordable, but it's generally pretty good quality -- even compared to many name brands.

The Kirkland line includes a huge array of goods, from paper products to diapers to prepared foods, including the famous Kirkland rotisserie chicken. I've tried a variety of them, and have only been truly let down by one Kirkland product thus far. (It knows what it did.)

There are great deals on name brand items

Even if you're not inclined to give the house brand a try, you can get many of your favorite name brands from Costco, too. Moreover, they're usually quite a bit more affordable than at regular big box or grocery stores.

You don't even need to buy items in bulk. Name-brand electronics, appliances, clothing -- you can find it all for what is often a better price than you can get elsewhere.

Gift cards can be discounted up to 25%

You can head to the store for physical gift cards, or go online to buy digital ones. Either way, you'll pay less than face value for all of them.

Discounts vary by retailer (and sale cycle), ranging from 5% off up to 25% off the face value. The list of cards includes brands across a lot of industries, from airlines to movie theaters to restaurants.

The $1.50 hotdog combo is an inflation-proof time machine

Alright, so this may only be a selling point to certain folks. But where else can you get a hot dog and soda combo for $1.50 in 2024?!

If you don't save money, you can get a refund

Costco has a famously awesome satisfaction guarantee. In fact, the return policy is so good it extends to your membership, too.

If you aren't happy with the savings you get as a Costco member, you can head to customer service to get a full refund on the cost of your membership. This means that trying out a Costco membership is about as risk free as things get in the personal finance world.

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. Brittney Myers has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .