Here’s Why Costco May Stop Selling Books Year-Round

Costco’s Famous Book Table Could Become Seasonal Feature Starting in January

In a surprising move, Costco’s famous book table may no longer be a year-round fixture in stores across the U.S. starting in January. According to a report by The New York Times, the beloved book section at Costco could become a seasonal occurrence, only returning from September to December each year.

While Costco has not officially announced this change, four major publishing executives have revealed the news to The Times. The decision to make the book table seasonal is reportedly due to the labor-intensive process of restocking the section with relevant books. Costco employees have to manually stock books, making it a time-consuming task compared to other sections in the store.

The cycle of restocking books weekly also adds to the labor-intensive nature of maintaining the book table. This change could have a noticeable impact on book sales, as Costco orders books in bulk, often in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

Despite the potential shift, shoppers have praised Costco’s book table for providing a moment of relaxation and offering great deals on boxed sets. Some customers have even preferred Costco’s book selection over Amazon’s, despite the online retailer’s extensive digital catalog.

While the change may be new for most U.S. stores, Costco has already implemented this strategy in Hawaii and Alaska since 2022. The decision to discontinue selling books in these states after over 30 years was due to logistics issues and declining sales. As the retail landscape continues to evolve, Costco’s book table may soon become a seasonal treat for customers nationwide.