Costco Wholesale — Local services in Riverbank

Not a fan of the new Costco. The one in Modesto seems better in many ways.

Overall, I like the layout in Modesto better even though many Costco warehouses are set up the way this one is. Turlock, Manteca, Clovis, several others in California, and even in Hawaii I've noticed this "similar" layout. While they may be similar, this Riverbank warehouse seems to do it worse. A lot of it may be with the spacing/layout of everything.

The good: Closer to customers in Eastward cities (Riverbank, Oakdale, Sonora etc) Gas station is a huge bonus and immediately competes with Chevron and other nearby stations. It's also HUGE. A big focus on check out speed. Don't expect to have to wait long in lines. You could tell from the beginning that they wanted to put a focus on this for this location to get people in and out. Membership scanner. I don't mind the scanner. I definitely prefer it over people manually stopping to inspect the card and to see if you look like your picture. The scanner is quick. You pull your card and show it to the scanner and you're on your way. There should be nothing to complain about here. If you pay for the membership then you should be OK with spending a split second to show the scanner.

The bad: Though the gas station is a big bonus for the location, it still closes early. So if you want to fill up on gas, it has to be within their hours. This is how all Costco stations are though. Layout. While this location appears to nearly mirror the one in Modesto, the location of some items does not make sense. SPACE. This is a big issue for me. Not sure why it feels smaller, but this is supposed to be a BIG location. Maybe it's all the people in the store, but everything just feels crammed. They don't even appear to have the same items available as Modesto does.

The most annoying part is the checkout. It's like they tried to put more lanes to help with checkout speed, but they put them too close to each other. If you're checking out, chances are you will bump into the person in the lane next to you. You can both be at the credit card machine and you will literally be back to back with each other. Very minimal space to move and it's not comfortable at all.

Then there's the food court that they decided to squeeze into the warehouse so people without memberships won't be able to get the deals. I never liked the idea of having the food court in the warehouse when I saw it in other cities. So when you want to get food, cool, it's there. But THERE IS NO ROOM TO EAT. Even Turlock has more space in their food court area. Why put the self checkout for the food court so close in between the cashiers? It makes is so difficult to leave the store. So you've improved the check out time, but made it harder to leave.

Also, random thing I witnessed. I saw people leaving with sundaes and they were stopped because they needed to show proof that they bought the ice cream. WHAT?! From what I observed, the ice cream was more than half eaten and melted. They can eat indoors without issue but cannot enjoy it outside without receipt? That's just too much. When other stores get out into the lot, there will be people wanting to be outside and walking store to store, can't tell me you're going to be that petty with customers where they have already verified their membership with the scanner and verified again to buy the food. Now you want them to verify the food they're eating and almost done with? Makes no sense.

Also, the customer service area is way too small. I saw a lady taking a picture for her membership and there wasn't even a location with back drop for her picture.

It really feels like they didn't plan this location very well or someone messed up with the measurements and they had to cram so much together at the last moments to meet a deadline or something.

This is the store you go to for convenience, but if you want to actually find something without the stress of bumping into people then go to the Modesto one.

I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 just for the convenience of...

Leaving this review after dealing with the insanely stupid food court with no lines at all causing total chaos of people trying to figure out if there are 2 or 3 lines or if 1 line is fo cash customers etc and after dealing with the fuel pumps having an insanely poor layout to let people get to fuel up causing additional problems with the masses.... see my other 2 reviews lol

The costco being new maybe some growing pains to get through but wow, after dealing the chaos from the food court and getting fuel, just buying stuff here was different, I did like the scanners for checking in thought which was the first time I've seen them before but it makes sense to check membership,

I'm mostly annoyed about dealing with the food court as nothing is marked for there being several lanes or whatver, preferable I'd want one single lane where everyhoke goes through and simply goes to the next available cashier person instead of getting in individual lanes and perhaps getting stuck behind someone with some massive complicated order while the other lanes have 10 people get their ordered handled and your truck behind them wondering why I made the choice of being in the lane... oh and there's cash lane for food court orders but there's literally no signs for that so people don't know what to do and you end up with a crowd of people trying to pickup what they already ordered but get told your in the wrong line because there are no lines or tape on the ground directing anyone here to go... moral free for all.

I'll change my review when the chaos is fixed at the food court... many costcos handle the food court I a better way but wow I was disgusted from waiting line 20 minutes to get a dang hotdogs after I paid for it because no one knew what to do because there was like seemingly 2 or 3 or 4 lanes open to pickup and order?

Was a crazy experience.. seemed like a social experiment almost to see what people would do when given 0 directions to try and pickup there food with costco employees offering 0 help as to what to do.

People in line asking if your in what line when there is no line at all, total chaos.

Should be an embrassment for the new costco manager to be honest.

Was kinda funny to watch once I stopped caring about trying to be efficient with my time though.

Some old lady got mad because she had waited like 15 minutes just to be told your in the wrong line when there was no lines at all because nothing whatsoever helps anyone...

Eitherway I was laughing by the end of it...

I made this massive review because welll... I had time. Also is there any plan for what people do with heir shpping carts while in line? People seemed to pile them up all over and then got lost in the massive pile of people all trying to pickup their orders haha

Genuinely was hilarious haha

Do better costco, I know you can, most costcos are better than this...

Nice store, clean and mild friendly stuff 👌there were a couple a bit out spoken but the majority of stuff friendly and helpful. The ladies doing teasters are sweet and helpful.

Of course Lots of great deals on household goods, of course food and holiday seasonal stuff. Great prices. (My Option) Plenty items/products in stock.

Like every Costco they got all your bulk items, great variety of food! frozen, fresh, box items, can items. Bakery good as well no complaints and I have ran in to any bad or omg wow factors. Which is GOOD.

Aisles are crowded but easily can fit pushing your cart, Walk in freezer selection are wide for a crowd rolling through! Well stocked. Which I do believe there is two cold/ freezer rooms one next to bakery section and other next to drinks / Miscellaneous products.

Now for the Food court, bonus its inside which I prefer during winter and/or hot summer days. However the reason the lost star for me. Insanely unorganized food court with no lines at all causing total chaos.. People trying to figure out if there are 2 or 3 lines, a guy came out tried to direct by stating there are infact three lines then went right back in. The people giving the food out however messed up that third line but confusing people. So slowly shift back to two messy lines once again..

My situation: I bough from the self order computer station. 3 Pizza; 2 pep 1 che 3 drinks. Then stand in one of the lines that seemed promising. When I got to them showed my receipt, they told it gonna be five minutes before it done. OK, understandable, lots of people, handing me the cups, we waiting 7 minutes later I'm watching others get there slices from the pizza I was waiting for 12 minutes later I go back up there ask what happen to our order a guy ask who help me I told him who, he got the woman attention shaking her head no. ( I don't know what going at this point) the woman come up to me I start to speak to her she stop me, and started talking to another customer that's fine, I wait and try to get attention again 19 minutes has gone by pizza have been popping out and being served to another. AFTER 25 MINUTES GOT MY PIZZA SLICES AND LEFT. My advice don't go to the food court at the busy time. It's completely...