Here's What Costco Does With All Of Its Unsold Kitchen Items

Every month, there are new discoveries to be made at Costco. The store is a veritable Aladdin's cave for foodies, but there's more to get our hands on at Costco than yummy meals and ingredients. It also sells everything we need to store, cook, and eat them. However, just like the produce, the warehouse retailer clears out kitchen items that haven't sold or have been returned (we'll come back to that) to ensure there's plenty of space for new stock. So, where does the old stuff go? The answer is an auction — but not everyone's invited.

Costco hands them off to B-Stock Solutions, a company that sells returns, overstock, and traded-in goods from businesses across the United States, as well as Canada and Europe. Kitchen items that Costco sends to the online marketplace include cookware, small and major appliances, and even "food and sundries." Most are sold by the pallet, though smaller boxes can be available. Sadly, being a Costco member does not automatically grant you access to the auction. For that you need a valid, state-specific resale certificate (which varies depending on where you live) and you must provide a valid U.S. address. Once you get a certificate and take part in an auction, note that you are forbidden from selling any purchases originating from Costco within 5 miles of one of its retail stores.

Costco famously donates its unsold food to Feeding America and similar charitable organizations, but pretty much everything else from its warehouse stores that doesn't sell ends up at auction. We've all got old-school kitchen tools that still work, but if one finally gives up the ghost, an auction could be a place to grab a bargain. Many of the kitchen items are good quality, though they can be a little more expensive than those put up by other retail outlets. Auction items from Costco are graded either A/B and will include unsold or returned goods, or C/D, which includes products that could be slightly damaged or have missing parts.

The auction lots also include customer returns, and a recent policy shift could be potentially interesting for the quality of kitchen items Costco puts up for grabs. For many years, members benefited from the store's returns policy, which aims to provide a "100% satisfaction guarantee." Essentially, shoppers could return almost anything and would have the purchase price refunded. Sadly, people took the generous policy too far, reportedly trying to return 15-year-old furniture, Christmas trees long after the holidays were over, or even half-eaten food.

In 2026, Costco clamped down on time limits and began requiring additional proof of purchase. Although the move has gone down badly with some, others welcomed it. One Redditor wrote of the situation that "We can't have nice things because of the a****les in society who take advantage." So, it stands that fewer rubbish kitchen items being returned to stores means there will likely be fewer of them at auction, too. Happy bidding!