What Costco actually looks for
Costco is known for paying well above typical retail wages and keeping turnover unusually low, which means competition for even entry-level roles can be surprisingly high, and interviewers are looking for people who genuinely want to stay, not just take any job. The company's business model, a membership warehouse with famously thin markups (Costco famously never marks up general merchandise more than about 15 percent), depends on efficiency and trust, so interviewers listen for evidence of integrity and reliability over flashy answers. Costco's code of ethics puts 'take care of our members' and 'take care of our employees' above short-term profit, and that ordering genuinely shows up in how interviews are run.
Common questions and how to answer them
"Why do you want to work at Costco specifically?" Because Costco's pay and stability draw a lot of applicants for the wrong reasons, give a specific answer tied to the membership model or the company's reputation for treating employees well, not just 'the pay is good.' "Tell me about a time you had to move quickly and accurately under pressure." Costco's high-volume floor and food court operations reward speed with accuracy, so use a concrete example with a measurable outcome. "How would you handle a member who is unhappy with a return?" Costco's return policy is famously generous, so show you understand how to apply it fairly and calmly rather than getting defensive.
How to prepare
Read Costco's code of ethics before your interview, it is public and short, and referencing it specifically signals real interest rather than a generic application. Prepare an honest, specific reason for wanting long-term employment there, since interviewers are actively screening for retention given how competitive Costco roles have become.