You know that feeling when you walk into Costco, past the TVs, and immediately hit that giant island of books? It’s basically a ritual. You’re there for a 40-pack of toilet paper and a rotisserie chicken, but somehow you end up flipping through a $15 hardcover cookbook or the latest Stephen King. It’s the ultimate impulse buy. But if you’ve been lately, you might have noticed something feels... off. Or maybe the books are just gone.
Honestly, the costco book sales changes aren't just a rumor anymore. They're a full-blown reality of 2026.
For decades, Costco was a silent giant in the publishing world. When they picked a book, they didn't just order a few copies; they ordered tens of thousands. They were kingmakers. But starting in early 2025, the warehouse giant began a massive pivot that left a lot of readers—and publishers—kinda heartbroken.
Why the Book Tables Vanished
It basically comes down to a forklift. No, seriously.
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Costco’s entire business model is built on efficiency. Most things in the warehouse are rolled out on giant wooden pallets and dropped into place. Minimum human touch. But books? Books are needy. You can't just drop a pallet of "The Women" by Kristin Hannah and call it a day. Employees have to unpack them, arrange them by hand on those flat tables, and constantly tidy them up because members (we've all seen it) tend to treat the book section like a library lounge.
According to industry insiders and reports from The New York Times, Costco leadership finally decided the "labor-intensive" nature of books just wasn't worth the floor space. In a world where they can sell a pallet of Kirkland protein bars in three days with zero maintenance, the books were becoming a drag on the bottom line.
The New Seasonal Reality
So, here is the deal for 2026. If you're looking for books at your local warehouse, your experience is going to depend entirely on the calendar.
Costco has moved to a seasonal model for the vast majority of its 600+ U.S. locations. This means:
- January to August: The book section is basically a ghost town or has been replaced by more profitable items like mattresses, seasonal furniture, or tech.
- September to December: The "Holiday Model" kicks in. The tables return, loaded with giftable hardcovers, advent calendars, and those massive "coffee table" books that are perfect for your mother-in-law.
It’s a bummer for the summer beach-read crowd, but from a business perspective, it's Costco being Costco. They want high-turnover items. Books, unfortunately, have a shelf life—literally. New releases come out every Tuesday, and the stuff that doesn't sell has to be boxed up and shipped back. It’s a logistical headache they’ve decided to mostly skip.
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The "Lucky 100" Exception
Now, don't panic just yet. Not every store is losing its year-round literary fix.
As of late last year, Costco confirmed they would keep the year-round book sections in about 100 specific locations. They haven't released a public list (because why make it easy?), but these are generally the high-performing stores where book sales actually justified the labor costs.
If you live in a big metro area with high "membership engagement" in the middle aisles, you might still see the tables in April. But for the other 500+ stores? It’s September or bust.
What This Means for You (and the Industry)
This shift is actually a pretty big deal for the publishing industry. Think about it: where else do people who aren't "bookstore people" see books?
Thad McIlroy, a publishing analyst, pointed out that Costco was one of the few places where a casual shopper would stumble upon a new author. It’s that "discovery" factor that’s getting lost. When you buy on Amazon, you’re usually looking for something specific or following an algorithm. At Costco, you were just looking for the cereal and found a life-changing biography.
The Impact on Prices
Costco books were always a steal. They famously sold new hardcovers for 30% to 50% off the MSRP. With that footprint shrinking, that "Costco price" is getting harder to find. Target is trying to pick up some of the slack—like they did with the exclusive Taylor Swift tour book—but they don't always have that specific "warehouse" discount.
The 2026 Survival Guide for Costco Readers
Since we're living in this new era of costco book sales changes, you've gotta change your strategy.
- Check the "Center Core": Even in the "off-season," some stores are still running small "promotional pallets." These aren't the full tables, but single-title stacks of absolute blockbusters. If a book is selling a million copies a week, Costco will find a way to get a pallet of it on the floor.
- The "Connection" Magazine: Don't toss that Costco Connection magazine in the recycling right away. They’re still doing book features and "Pennie’s Picks" (even though the legendary Pennie Clark Ianniciello retired, the spirit lives on). Sometimes they offer online-only book bundles for members.
- Mark Your Calendar: If you’re a big fan of those kids' sticker books or the giant boxed sets for gifts, Labor Day is your new "starting gun." That's when the inventory starts flowing back in for the holiday rush.
- Use Your Voice: Honestly, Costco listens to feedback. If enough members at a specific warehouse complain about the missing book tables, managers notice. They track every square inch of "sales per foot."
It’s definitely a shift in the "treasure hunt" experience we’re used to. It feels a little less like a community space and a little more like a cold, hard business move. But that's the retail landscape right now. Everything is being optimized, and unfortunately, the tactile joy of flipping through a physical book didn't quite make the cut for the year-round inventory.
If you’re lucky enough to be near one of the 100 stores that kept their section, count your blessings. For the rest of us, we’ll just have to wait for September to roll around to get our warehouse literary fix.
Next Steps:
- Check your local warehouse this week to see if your store made the "year-round 100" list.
- If the tables are gone, look for the "End-of-Aisle" displays where they sometimes tuck away the top 5 New York Times bestsellers even during the off-season.