China’s First Costco Closes On Opening Day Due to Massive Crowds

By Justine Lopez, August 27, 2019

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UPDATE (August 28, 2019 at 1.21pm CST): Costco has released a statement on their official WeChat account addressing the early closure of its first Shanghai warehouse on opening day:

Costco

Click here to read the full post.



After months of anticipation, Costco officially opened the doors to their first-ever China location this morning. However, things didn’t exactly go smoothly at the Shanghai branch. 


Screenshot via @hancocktom/Twitter

Since the retailer began selling memberships on July 1, tens of thousands of people have signed up, The Paper reports. With its grand opening, Costco was unsurprisingly a very popular destination today. It was so popular it was forced to close up shop around 2pm based on the sheer number of shoppers who flocked to the store. 

China’s First Costco Closes On Opening Day Due to Massive CrowdsImage via Weibo


Image via Weibo

Things got so crazy that by 11.29am, members received a message warning them to avoid visiting the outlet during peak hours. And by 2.13pm, members were told the store would be shutting down and were specifically asked not to visit today.    


Screenshot by Bridget O’Donnell/That’s

Those who did brave the crowds earlier today had to wait up to three hours for a spot in the parking lot, which caused all sorts of traffic jams. By 11am, there were so many people at the store that workers started regulating the number of shoppers allowed inside. Many had to wait in line for up to two hours just to get in. 

China’s First Costco Closes On Opening Day Due to Massive Crowds
Image via The Paper

You can check the madness out for yourself.

Watch below (VPN off): 

Video via QQ

Video via QQ

We’re assuming the store will reopen tomorrow morning, but you might want to postpone your visit until the excitement dies down. 

[Cover image via The Paper]

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