Costco + Uber Eats: The Rise of Instant Retail

TL;DR

• Costco is on Uber Eats, no membership required

• This aligns with the instant retail trend: ultra-fast fulfillment of physical goods

• While it expands reach, it may risk loyalty from members

• Supermarkets and retailers should start future-proofing by adapting to new logistics, consumer expectations, and digital presence

What’s New?

In a surprising move, Costco has partnered with Uber Eats to offer home delivery—even to non-members. From rotisserie chicken to bulk household staples, customers in select cities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Taiwan can now shop Costco without a membership card.

This comes alongside a broader retail trend:

“Instant retail” — a model of ultra-fast, on-demand delivery of physical goods, often within 30–60 minutes.
Born from China’s e-commerce ecosystem, this model is now going global.

Why is Costco doing this?

Costco’s core model has always emphasized in-store bulk shopping and exclusive member access. So why the pivot?

Strategic motives behind the partnership:

• Expand reach beyond members — By listing on Uber Eats, Costco can attract new shoppers without requiring them to join.

• Tap into urban convenience culture — Today’s consumers want fast, frictionless shopping—especially in cities.

• Test new pricing levers — Uber Eats offers Costco a channel to explore price markups for non-members, boosting profit per item.

• Piggyback on logistics infrastructure — Instead of building their own delivery fleet, Costco leverages Uber’s network for fulfillment.

Pros & cons of this move

 

✅ Benefits	⚠️ Risks / Trade-offs
Gain new customers (non-members)	Members may feel their exclusivity is diluted
Meet “instant gratification” demands	Delivery pricing could reduce Costco’s value-for-money appeal
No infrastructure investment needed	Costco has less control over customer experience
Test new urban delivery markets	Potential stock or pricing discrepancies on Uber Eats

 

 

What’s next for grocery retail?

Costco’s move isn’t happening in isolation. It reflects a larger industry shift driven by the maturing of instant retail.

Retailers everywhere are now asking: how do we keep up with consumer demand for speed—not just in logistics, but in marketing too?

Because when promotions change daily and product assortments shift rapidly, the challenge isn’t only delivering goods fast, but also keeping visuals and campaigns updated in real time. This is where creative automation can give retailers the same edge that Uber provides Costco: scaling operations without slowing down.

For example, optimizing your product listings and campaign visuals has become just as critical as shortening delivery times. Our blog on high-converting eCommerce product displays dives into this in more detail.

Whether you’re in FMCG, retail marketing, or tech enablement—this signals a shift in how goods are sold and delivered. And you might need to adopt more automation tools to fulfill fast-paced requirements

Want to explore more?

Let’s talk about how your team can keep pace with instant retail—by making design production as fast and scalable as delivery.

References:

This App Unlocks Costco Delivery Even If You Don't Have A Membership
You Can Now Order From Costco On Uber Eats—No Membership Required
Uber Eats adds Costco delivery — even for non-members
Uber wants to conquer the suburbs and it's starting with Costco
https://www.bnext.com.tw/article/84152/uber-eats-costco-first-month