This Major U.S. City Is About to Get a New and Different Costco

What happened

There are currently 585 Costco Wholesale locations in 46 U.S. States and Puerto Rico. There's also another type of Costco store dotting the U.S., catering to those who want the opportunity to buy even greater quantities of the products they need. It's called Costco Business Center, and the 26th store will soon open in St. Louis, Missouri.

Thirteen of the existing Business Center stores are located on the West Coast. While we can't say for certain why that is, it may have something to do with Costco Wholesale Corporation being located in Washington State. Other states with a single Costco Business Center are: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, and Utah. Texas is home to two Business Centers.

Costco Business Centers cater to small businesses, but are open to anyone with a Costco Wholesale membership. And here's the big draw: Nearly 70% of the products carried in Costco Business Centers are unavailable in traditional Costco stores.

So what

Costco Business Centers are like "regular" Costco stores on steroids. While Costco is known for bulk items, Costco Business Centers offer an even larger selection of bulk items. Customers will find more bulk drinks, snacks, and commercial supplies. In short, it's perfect for small business owners or very large households.

What customers won't find in a Costco Business Center is clothing, books, sporting goods, alcohol, or a pharmacy. Most shocking of all, there are no nice people standing at the end of the aisles offering food samples.

They will find a massive walk-in refrigerator with both fresh and frozen groceries. Shoppers also have their pick of commercial appliances, restaurant supplies, disposables, and of course, office supplies.

Now what

Like a traditional Costco, Costco Business Centers feature savings events, with discounts automatically applied at the register. Unlike traditional Costco stores, shoppers don't have from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to shop. Costco Business Centers are open Monday through Saturday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and are closed on Sundays.

According to the St. Louis Business Journal, a sign at the construction site reads, "coming soon." When contacted for clarification, a spokesperson for Costco told the Journal that the retailer does not discuss upcoming stores until they're two or three months from opening.

There's no reason for Costco customers to fret if a Costco Business Center has not made it to their town. Plans are underway for Costco to rehab other vacated buildings across the country, turning them into Costco Business Centers.