When Costco opened to much fanfare in September 1983, the first members flocked to the very new style of shopping, where goods were stacked up warehouse-style. Archive images taken at the grand opening of the original Seattle store show shoppers with carts full to the brim of bulk packs of toilet paper, cleaning products, and giant TVs. The historic photographs of the 100,000 square foot store show shelves and tables stacked high with brown boxes of merchandise. Others reveal offers of cordless home telephones and Panasonic 19-inch televisions, items that seem outdated with today’s smartphones and 65-inch flat screen televisions. Eagle-eyed observers also noticed the surprisingly low membership costs. The original cost of the business membership was just $25 a year, mainly aimed at smaller shops, bars and restaurants buying wholesale. The business membership is no longer offered. A gold membership, which is the same as today’s entry-level tier was $30. Now, the Costco membership is about to increase to $65 for the standard gold and $130 for the executive level. After 40 years in the business Costco has more than 800 locations, nearly 129 million members, and $237.7 billion in revenue last year.
