Costco announces major change for shoppers
In a move that has rattled its U.S. workforce, Costco is set to change its operating hours, raising concerns about potential ripple effects in Australia.
From June 30, the retail giant will open its core US warehouses at 9am for executive members, while extending Saturday hours until 7pm for all members.
The changes aim to improve shopping experiences for members who often left frustrated by crowded warehouses.
The decision, however, has triggered a wave of discontent among employees, who are worried about the impact on their schedules and workload.
'Yall ready for 9am openings?' a concerned customer wrote on Reddit.
'Mainly for the employees. How's your warehouse preparing for 9am openings every day. I hear it's starting June 30th. We struggle to get open on 945, I can imagine it's going to be fun every morning in merchandising. I'm assuming there will be no adjustments to schedules or depot times. Just get it done in less time.'
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The question was met with nearly 400 comments from workers eager to sound off on the change.
One person admitted that the adjustment in hours has the potential to make things 'infinitely worse' for them.
'I'm in the meat department at Costco. It sucks. I already get there at 5am. Now it will be 4am… What sucks is we also will now open an hour later- 2 hours may not sound like a lot be we already struggle to get certain parts of the day covered and certain things done between opening an night crew. This 2 hour change will make it infinitely worse,' they wrote.
Other workers are also struggling to see how the change in hours will benefit them.
'As an employee who drives the cooler 4am to 10 every morning, and front end after, and has a second job to make ends meet and only sleeps 4-5 hours a night, no. No im not,' read one comment on Reddit.
'I hate it. I work in optical and there is no reason we have to be there because nothing is gunna happen. It's for executive members only. So now we are gunna have angry non-executive members too,' another user chimed in.
As Costco expands its footprint in Australia, the question arises: could similar changes be implemented here?
While there is no current indication of such plans, the U.S. scenario serves as a cautionary tale for Australian workers and consumers.
Australian stakeholders, no doubt, will be watching closely, aware that the developments overseas could eventually influence local practices.
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