Costco is about to do something it’s never done before — open a gas station without the store.
The membership-only retailer is planning to open its first standalone gas station in the spring of 2026 at the Mission Viejo Freeway Center.
The site will take over a former location of the now bankrupt Bed Bath & Beyond location at the Mission Viejo Freeway Center.
Unlike its usual gas setups outside warehouse stores, this station will operate solo — no convenience store, no big-box shopping required — just fuel. It will feature 40 gas pumps and cater exclusively to Costco members.
Shoppers are already buzzing about the move.
‘I think this is a great idea for members since they already have the logistics and it will hopefully make the store stations less crowded,’ a Reddit user wrote.
Others called the project an ‘absolute win’ and urged Costco to roll out more standalone stations — perhaps with car washes or mini-marts attached.
The news comes after Costco announced it would expand its gas station hours. Weekday hours are 6am to 10pm, and are open from 6am to 8.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Costco is opening its first standalone gas station in Mission Viejo, California this spring
Members were thrilled for the gas station and requested the chain also add convenience stores and car washes
While several social media users were thrilled about the news, others questioned Costco’s decision.
A few Reddit users insisted the station will be in a ‘terrible location’ while others didn’t believe it was as important as Costco stores themselves.
However, Neil Saunders of GlobalData revealed this concept could work in the retailer’s favor as its cheap gas prices is a reason why the chain is ‘wildly popular.’
‘Costco is building a new stand-alone location in Orange County to help manage demand that can’t be serviced at the station by its store,’ Saunders told DailyMail.com.
‘If successful, there are other locations where this could be implemented.’
Costco competitors like Sam’s Club and Walmart have added gas stations to select locations for its customers.
Sam’s Club’s fuel stations are primarily for members, but some locations are also open to the public.
Walmart operates over 400 fuel and convenience stores nationwide and is opening 40 to 45 stations this year.
Costco had over 700 fuel stations worldwide by the end of 2024
A few customers believed the gas station wouldn’t make a difference and that it would be in a ‘terrible’ location
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Costco competitors are undergoing massive revamps such as self-checkout axing for AI technology to in-store makeovers.
However, the warehouse store is also making changes of its own, some of which have infuriated its members.
The company made headlines after confirming its decision to swap Pepsi for Coca-Cola.
The first Coke machine was installed at one of its newest stores in California, and more will be added to food courts nationwide later this summer.
Members were also disappointed by significant menu changes and claimed the chain hiked its food court prices.
Some new features that left its exclusive membership holders smiling include earlier shopping hours and a $10 monthly delivery credit.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Costco for comment about its gas station.