Costco is shutting all 643 U.S. warehouses and gas stations on Memorial Day, Monday May 25, 2026. That means your last shopping window is Sunday 5/24 — and warehouses get hit hard on Sunday afternoons of long-weekend setups. The smart move is to grab what you need on Saturday or Sunday morning. Here are the seven categories worth a pre-closure run.
1. Gas (Top Tier Kirkland) — Fill Up Before Sunday Evening
- Costco gas pumps also close Monday 5/25, so your last fill-up window is Sunday. The national average just cracked $4.50/gallon for regular; Costco runs roughly 20–30¢ under street pump prices on the same Top Tier-rated fuel.
- On a typical 16-gallon fill, that’s $3–$5 saved versus a 7-Eleven or Shell. Over a long-weekend road trip with a fill at the start and end, the savings cover the $65 annual membership in two stops.
2. Hot Dogs, Burgers, and the Long-Weekend Protein Stack
- The deli case clears fast Sunday afternoon for long weekends. Plan for hot dogs (Kirkland 100% beef, 12-pack), burger patties (the Kirkland 1/3-lb pack), and a backup of bone-in chicken thighs if you grill.
- A 3-day weekend with 4–8 guests typically eats through 2–3 lbs of protein per day. Stock for 6 lbs minimum, more if you have weekend houseguests.
3. The Drinks Run — Water, Soda, Beer, Wine
- Kirkland Sparkling Water 35-pack, La Croix or Spindrift variety, Kirkland Light Beer (American or Mexican lager), and the $7–$12 Kirkland house wines are the four-corners drink stack for a long weekend at home.
- Members hosting 6+ people should plan for one 35-pack of water plus one 24-pack of soda or beer per day. Wine, allow one bottle per 4 adult guests as a baseline.
4. Fresh Produce — Greens, Berries, Avocados
- The produce wall is the first thing to thin out on long-weekend Sundays. Grab spring mix or the 3-pack romaine hearts, the 2-lb strawberry/blueberry combo, plus a Kirkland 6-pack avocado bag.
- If you’re making a fruit platter, avocados need 2–3 days to ripen, so a Saturday-morning trip beats a Sunday-afternoon one.
5. Ice, Charcoal, Lighter Fluid — The Forgotten Categories
- These are the items members forget every long weekend and then can’t buy on Monday. A 20-lb bag of Kingsford charcoal runs about $14 at Costco, half the price of a hardware store run.
- Ice is sold by the bag at most warehouses; for parties of 8+ plan on 2–3 bags. Stash them in coolers Sunday night to keep them solid through Memorial Day.
6. Pharmacy and Optical — Closed Monday Too
- Costco Pharmacy and Optical also close on Memorial Day. If you have a prescription refill scheduled, call ahead and pick it up Friday or Saturday to avoid getting caught short.
- New for 2026: Costco’s NavitusClear pharmacy program (launched January 1, 2026) passes 100% of manufacturer discounts through to members — worth asking the pharmacist if you haven’t opted in yet.
7. The Just-In-Case Items — Sunscreen, Bug Spray, Allergy Meds
- Kirkland Signature Sunscreen 4-pack ($14), the 2-pack of OFF! deep-woods spray (~$10), and the Kirkland Aller-Tec 365-count generic Zyrtec ($15) cover the three things you do not want to be hunting for at a CVS at 8 PM on Memorial Day.
- For older members or anyone with skin sensitivities, Costco’s mineral-based Kirkland sunscreen is the cleanest formulation in the warehouse channel.
Pre-closure shopping plan, by hour
- Saturday morning: Produce, gas fill-up #1, pharmacy refills, sunscreen / bug spray. Lighter crowds before 11 AM.
- Sunday morning (before 11 AM): Hot dogs, burger patties, drinks, ice, charcoal. Beat the long-weekend rush.
- Sunday evening: Final gas fill-up if you’re driving Monday. Pumps typically close around 8 PM the day before Memorial Day.
Plan ahead, and the closure becomes a non-event. Wait until Monday and you’re stuck paying convenience-store prices for ice and gas. Costco reopens normal hours Tuesday May 26.
