Costco is way too damn crowded. There needs to be 2x or 3x the number of stores. It is a great deal. But an utterly miserable shopping experience.

That's because of "them". If they weren't here.

Them is a universal variable you already injected.

Comparatively, as I have both a Costco and Sam's Club memberships, the floorplans on Costco stores are much more efficient. Both stores get crowded but Sams suffers from poor design which makes traffic worse. Although, Sams does compensate with a smoother checkout experience.

Part of the reason their prices are low is they are very efficient at using their total hours open.

I often just get it delivered to my house to avoid the crowds though.