Costco Shoppers Want ‘Americans Only’ Hours

If you’ve ever shopped at Costco on a weekend, you know it’s like an endurance sport, with tough parking, packed crowds and competitive lines for those mini-sausage samples.

But Costco shoppers in Bellingham, Wash. have an additional challenge: Canadians. It seems that the store, 90 miles north of Seattle and near the border, attracts flocks of Canadians in search for cheaper American milk and gas. And that’s making some locals grouchy.

A Facebook page has emerged to vent the grumpiness, called “Bellingham Costco needs a special time just for Americans.” With more than 4,200 likes so far, it features rants about crowds, parking and rude Canadians who buy up all the milk (by the double-gallon) and take forever in the gas line (with their extra gas cans). {snip}

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But not everyone is complaining about the “mob show” at the Bellingham Costco. One Facebook poster called the comments “discrimination” and wrote, “I say to Canadians boycott, and watch how fast your city begs for Canadians to return.”

Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville also continued to welcome Canadians. “The unpleasant comments we’ve seen on social media regarding Canadians are offensive and inappropriate,” Linville said Monday.

The Facebook page creator wrote that the problem isn’t Canadians personally, but the need for a larger store. {snip}

Also, don’t expect any special U.S.-only shopping hours. Costco said it’s planning to continue its policy of letting Costco members shop in any Costco they choose.

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