Why Doesn’t Costco Let You Try on Clothes?

Costco stores have a pretty big clothes section, but why don't they let their customers try things on?

Costco is known for its quality Kirland brand items, great deals, and delicious food options, but a part of the store that people often breeze by is their clothes section. If you’re only there to pick up groceries for the week, you might want to start buying your clothes from Costco too. They offer their own line of Kirkland brand clothes as well as brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Birkenstock. But the one catch is that you can’t try anything on before purchasing it.

If their warehouses are so big, why can’t they make space for a fitting room? People have speculated that it might be because they don’t want to hire staff to cover that section of the store, it creates an opportunity for easy shoplifting, or because of the mess it would create when people decide they don’t want to buy what they tried on. We talked to Costco to get to the bottom of it.

Here is what a representative from Costco Management shared:

“Costco differs from typical retailers in that we offer a warehouse shopping environment. This means all available space is used for merchandise, rather than display windows, mannequins, fitting rooms, and other spaces you see elsewhere in the marketplace. Plus, our generous return policy makes it easy for members to return apparel items if they change their mind after purchase.”

So there you have it. Costco uses every square inch of their stores to stock items they know their customers will love and that leaves no room on the warehouse floor for trying on clothes. If a customer gets home and decides that they don’t like the clothing item they purchased or if it doesn’t fit, Costco has a customer satisfaction guarantee on every item they sell so it can be returned for a full refund or exchanged for a different size. So if you’re a frequent Costco shopper that has avoided the clothes section because you can’t try anything on, check it out the next time you visit because you can get some pretty great deals.

Sources : Reader's Digest