Costco and Walmart Revamp Checkout and Food Court Policies

Costco has altered its iconic $1.50 hot‑dog combo, allowing customers to choose either the 20‑ounce fountain drink or a 16.9‑ounce bottle of water. The retailer also began requiring a membership card for any food‑court purchase, ending the practice of non‑members accessing the area and tightening rules on membership sharing.

Walmart announced that it is removing self‑checkout kiosks from additional stores and reinstating staffed cashier lanes. The move follows growing concerns over theft and customer frustration with self‑service checkout. Walmart’s shift mirrors Costco’s recent rollout of staff‑assisted, pre‑scan checkout pilots, reflecting a broader retail trend toward more supervised checkout experiences.

Both changes affect shoppers nationwide and signal a reevaluation of self‑service models at two of America’s largest discount retailers.