Costco's Newest Store Concept Could Change the Way You Shop There

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Many of us are used to going to Costco and loading up on items like groceries, cleaning products, and paper towels. You might even pick up some apparel, or perhaps a laptop if you have a need for one.

But Costco's inventory isn't limited to household items you can take home with you in your car. The warehouse club giant also sells a wide range of furniture (both indoor and outdoor) as well as major appliances.

As a Costco member, you can benefit from not just competitive prices on these items, but the store's customer satisfaction guarantee. Also, if you're an Executive member, you're eligible for 2% cash back on your purchases. That can be even more lucrative when you're talking about a $2,000 fridge or a $3,000 living room set.

The downside of buying large items from Costco

But it's a lot harder to buy things like furniture and major appliances from Costco because the store doesn't have many of these items in stock. And that makes sense. It's not like the typical shopper is going to come in for milk and eggs and walk out with a brand-new dishwasher.

Costco tends to heavily limit its in-store supply of appliances and furniture and makes these items more easily available online. But buying a washing machine or kitchen table online may not be within your comfort zone.

If that's the case, and you live in Anchorage, Alaska, you're in luck. Costco recently opened a showroom-type store there that lets you check out appliances and furniture in person. And if Costco decides to expand this type of store to different markets, it could change the way a lot of people shop there.

An improved buying experience

It's one thing to buy something like a blender online. It's another thing to rely on an online description when you're replacing your refrigerator. It's helpful to see an item like that in person so you can get a sense of how much storage space you'll actually get.

Similarly, a website can describe a couch as "plush" and "comfortable" all it wants. But when you're making an investment in a piece of furniture like that, you want to be able to actually touch it and sit on it before committing.

That's what makes Costco's new store concept so great. Shoppers can try out these major purchases before swiping their credit cards .

Now, it's worth noting that Costco's showroom-style store won't let shoppers take their items home with them. Rather, anything purchased in-store has to be delivered, and that option is only available to certain ZIP codes within a specific radius of the showroom itself.

But even the largest minivans are ill-equipped to haul major appliances and furniture home. So that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Should you buy furniture and appliances at Costco?

Since the majority of Costco members don't have access to a showroom store, buying furniture or appliances becomes tricky. For the most part, you're relying heavily on an online description, which may or may not suffice.

Remember, while Costco stands behind its inventory, it's one thing to return a food processor you bought two weeks ago that doesn't seem to be doing the job. It's another thing to try to return a patio set. How are you even going to get it back to the store?

You may want to proceed with caution when buying furniture and major appliances from Costco, despite the great prices and potential for cash back with an Executive membership. And if you're going to buy those items online, read the reviews -- all of them.

If there's a discounted dining room set that customers who bought it are raving about, then you're taking less of a chance by purchasing it without getting to see it in person or actually sit on the chairs. But any major appliance or furniture piece with mixed reviews is something you probably want to pass on.

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