3 Good Reasons to Buy Clothing at Costco

There's no doubt about it: If you're looking for the best value on clothes, shop at Costco first. Sure, the clothing section might not look appealing at first -- often it's just stacks of clothes arranged on flat tables and reminiscent of a garage sale -- but the deals can be unbeatable. If you have a Costco membership, here are three reasons the warehouse might just become your new favorite place to shop for clothes. 

1. Costco clothes are very affordable 

And when I say affordable, I mean: you'll be hard-pressed to find new clothes of similar quality for a lower price. 

To highlight just how much you can save, here's how four Costco items compare to similar products found on Amazon:

I pulled these items at random, but you can do a similar comparison for clothes you're interested in to see how many times Costco beats Amazon. 

How can Costco offer such low prices? It's all in the company's business structure. Costco makes a large portion of its profits from membership dues. For example, in 2022, the company brought in $4.2 billion on membership costs, which is only $1.6 billion shy of the company's total net income for the full 2022 year ($5.8 billion). This extra income helps the company stay profitable, while cutting prices on merchandise.  

2. You can return clothes (with no tags!)

Yes, Costco lets you return most clothes for a 100% refund.

As Costco states on its website: 

"With few exceptions, Costco has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Simply bring the product to any Costco warehouse and our Member Services Team will be happy to assist you*. It helps if you have the receipt or original product packaging, but it may not be necessary to process your return." 

In other words, you can return clothes that have been gently worn, with or without tags, and with or without your receipt. But use your discretion: Your local Costco could refuse to refund clothes that are dirty, ripped, or clearly worn out. They might even flag you in its system for making questionable returns frequently, which is the most common way people get banned from its membership club. 

3. Costco sells its own private label of clothes 

Costco sells numerous clothing brands, including Levi's, Banana Republic, and Calvin Klein. And while it often sells these brands cheaper than other department stores, it's in Costco's private label -- Kirkland Signature -- that the best deals are found. 

Kirkland Signature clothes are priced low, but don't get the wrong idea: these clothes are not made cheaply. The shirts I've bought, for instance, are double-seamed around the collar and don't shrink easily when I wash them. 

Sometimes, you'll find Kirkland styles that you can't find elsewhere. Other times, you'll find Kirkland clothes that match popular styles at department stores, but at a significantly lower price. 

Find the best Costco clothing deals…online  

If you're not a fan of shopping at the Costco warehouse, you can still buy clothes online. The prices are comparable to the warehouse, and you can even use Instacart to have them delivered to your home. Either way, if you want to help your personal finances by saving on clothing, check Costco's inventory first before you buy elsewhere: you never know what deals you'll find.