Costco is beloved by its loyal customers around the world. There are more than 800 locations worldwide, according to Costco.
The world’s smallest Costco warehouse is located all the way in Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Warehouse was opened on November 4. 1993.
YouTuber Adam Legg (@LeggLife), a creator from Anchorage, Alaska, gave a full-fledged tour of the big box store dubbed a “tiny but legendary Costco location.”
“I think it is also one of the most beautiful settings of any Costco,” says Legg in the video, as he later shows the building’s backdrop that features an evergreen forest, fog, and snow-covered mountains. “This is a unique one. It is roughly half the size of a normal Costco.”
For reference, a typical Costco warehouse is around 160,000 square feet.
Products in the world’s smallest Costco
Despite its size, the world’s smallest Costco is still impressively stocked.
“It carries more than half the amount of products. So most ‘normal’ Costco’s carry right around 3,800-4,000 products,” says Legg. “This Costco carries about 3,200. So even though it is half the size, it carries more than half the amount of products.”
When it comes to prices, Legg explains that “everything in Juneau comes in either by ship or by plane. There are no roads to Juneau, Alaska.”
As he walks in, there is the familiar electronics section with TVs and more, including some massive inflatable water toys for the yard that Legg did not expect.
Unique items
Immediately, Legg notices some items ‘unique’ to the Juneau location. These include some XTRATUF rain boots that Legg himself is wearing to the store, a necessary staple for Alaska’s climate. There’s also some University of Alaska-Fairbanks clothing. Legg notes that the clothing section is “smaller than most Costcos.”
There are also home goods items, furniture, and mattresses. Legg then shows some other “interesting” regional necessities: bear spray and mosquito/tick repellant.
Legg explains that there are also many summer Alaska essentials, like backpacks, coolers, and “giant family tents and canopies.”
Food items
Legg makes his way to the grocery section. He points out that a large watermelon is $12.99, and bananas are $2.99 a pound. Moving on to the prepared meat, the baby back ribs are $7.99 a pound, and chicken wings are also available.
However, one iconic Costco item is not available at the location: the rotisserie chicken.
“The rotisserie chickens was one of the things I was wondering about, but they don’t have them,” Legg says.
There are still many meat and seafood options available, including plenty of the prepared meal kits. As he ventures to the frozen and refrigerated section, he reassures viewers: “If you were wondering, yes they do have samples.”
Two dozen organic brown eggs cost $7.69, and, in the dry goods section, the big box of Lucky Charms is on sale for $5.39. Additionally, Legg points out that customers can also purchase alcohol at the Juneau warehouse.
Additional comparisons and contrasts
Legg points out the Juneau Costco does have a pharmacy, as well as an optical department and Tire Service Center. Hearing aids are also available there. However, there is no bakery.
The food court also has classics like the infamous Costco hotdog and chicken bake. However, there is no pizza available. “There is no seating inside the food court, but they do have tables outside,” says Legg.
After shopping the entire warehouse, Legg gave his final thoughts:
“I absolutely loved that…it was super simple. It has the vast majority of stuff you want your Costco to have,” he says. He points out that there are only three cities in Alaska with a Costco: Anchorage, Fairbanks, and of course, Juneau.
“I love this concept. I bet not every town could support a full-sized Costco, but I bet a lot of towns could support something this size,” he shares. “I hope Costco starts doing more things like this. Not every Costco has to be the huge, giant, over-the-top warehouse.”
