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I would venture the reasoning for this is that the system that handles inventory was never designed with external customers in mind. Most inventory tracking is

I would venture the reasoning for this is that the system that handles inventory was never designed with external customers in mind. Most inventory tracking is done at the register/PoS when the purchase is made. The inventory is automatically tallied all day long as items are purchased and returned. At the end of the day a manifest is built and sent out for the next delivery truck. These systems, at least when I dealt with them, were mostly managed by IBM AS/400's which weren't built with the Internet in mind. The physical inventory is a financial/accounting compliance item to reconcile what the system thinks it has and what is in the store, related to insurance coverage. Costco tends to order items at wholesale while the price is advantageous in order to pass on the savings which means items aren't going to be located in the same area thus no real need for a map. I would venture since freezers and bakeries are permanent fixtures along with the long-term regular items they purchase it gives the "illusion" that things are kept in specific locations. I don't know how much stock I would put in the idea of the "Ikea" method for Costco as they have returns, membership, pharmacy, eye glasses, and the food court all relatively towards the front which are areas that people come to Costco frequently for. If it was the "Ikea method" they would all be in the back of the store.

jfim 3y ago
> I don't know how much stock I would put in the idea of the "Ikea" method for Costco as they have returns, membership, pharmacy, eye glasses, and the food court all relatively towards the front which are areas that people come to Costco frequently for. If it was the "Ikea method" they would all be in the back of the store. Do people really go to those parts of the store often? The fridges with fresh food, rotisserie chicken, and items like laundry soap and toilet paper are all the way at the back, which typically are the bulk of my cart. The stuff that's close to the door is typically TVs, vitamins, and toothpaste.
- ZeroSolstice 3y ago
  I'm sure there are a few different store layout concepts over time. However you don't need a membership at Costco to eat at the food court or use the pharmacy, purchase alcohol in some states so if we applied the "Ikea" model those would be in the back to have someone "see" all the things they are missing by not being a member. For the paper towels, toilet paper, drinks they are probably regularly stocked items which if you were unloading tucks full of them you wouldn't want to be moving huge quantities all the way to the front of the store. Lastly, i'm sure its also a combination of flow control. Get everyone to the back of the store then filter toward the front building some buffers in line queue volume and getting bunched up in one single area. If you walk in the door and thats where the paper towels, toilet paper, milk, etc is then just getting in the store would be a problem. All speculation of course, but to me the "Ikea" model didn't seem to fit.

jfim 3y ago

> I don't know how much stock I would put in the idea of the "Ikea" method for Costco as they have returns, membership, pharmacy, eye glasses, and the food court all relatively towards the front which are areas that people come to Costco frequently for. If it was the "Ikea method" they would all be in the back of the store. Do people really go to those parts of the store often? The fridges with fresh food, rotisserie chicken, and items like laundry soap and toilet paper are all the way at the back, which typically are the bulk of my cart. The stuff that's close to the door is typically TVs, vitamins, and toothpaste.

ZeroSolstice 3y ago
I'm sure there are a few different store layout concepts over time. However you don't need a membership at Costco to eat at the food court or use the pharmacy, purchase alcohol in some states so if we applied the "Ikea" model those would be in the back to have someone "see" all the things they are missing by not being a member. For the paper towels, toilet paper, drinks they are probably regularly stocked items which if you were unloading tucks full of them you wouldn't want to be moving huge quantities all the way to the front of the store. Lastly, i'm sure its also a combination of flow control. Get everyone to the back of the store then filter toward the front building some buffers in line queue volume and getting bunched up in one single area. If you walk in the door and thats where the paper towels, toilet paper, milk, etc is then just getting in the store would be a problem. All speculation of course, but to me the "Ikea" model didn't seem to fit.