Premature notice sends many seniors to morning queue

Costco will have special shopping times for 60 and over crowd next week

There was something different about the usual lineup that formed outside the Coeur d’Alene Costco well before it opened Thursday morning.

This time, it included senior citizens. A lot of senior citizens.

Many were there, it turned out, because they had seen a picture of a sign that went viral on social media that read, under the Costco Wholesale heading, “Special operating hours: Exclusively for members who are over 60 years of age or have physical disabilities. Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Only members who meet this criteria will be invited to shop during these hours. No guests will be admitted.”

The problem was, it wasn’t actually happening.

Yes, Costco will, next week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, have a special morning time, 8-9, for seniors.

But some believed it was already underway after reading the premature notice that went out.

Coeur d’Alene Costco General Manager Stephanie Suko said Costco’s corporate office had been considering a time and days for seniors to shop during coronavirus outbreak, but it had not been finalized. They decided against holding it five days a week due to the strain on already stretched resources and staff.

Still, an employee took a photo of a sign and posted it on social media and from there, it quickly made the rounds.

By Wednesday, many had read it, and eager to buy toilet paper and other supplies and food, headed for Costco the next morning. The wait was longer than anticipated.

One caller to The Press said he drove by about 8:30 a.m. and saw many seniors waiting in the cold — and the store wasn’t set to open until 10.

“It was just sad to see,” the caller said. “It was bitter cold out there, man.”

Suko said the photo of the sign should not have been taken or distributed via social media.

She went out and spoke to the seniors waiting in line Thursday, explained what happened and apologized.

Suko said Costco employees are doing all they can to keep food and toiletries on shelves.

“We’re all working so hard to keep the buildings stocked,” Suko said. “We’re trying to take care of everybody fairly.”