The American warehouse club chain Costco has taken a significant step in its strategy in the Spanish market by launching its online sales service with same-day delivery. From now on, members in Spain can shop online and receive their orders at home within hours, a move that brings the wholesale warehouse model closer to local e-commerce.
This digital launch comes in partnership with Instacart , a technology platform specializing in food delivery, which is thus entering Spain and France for the first time. With this alliance, Costco aims to offer its members greater flexibility without compromising its usual commitment to price, quality, and service in its club format.
How Costco's new online store works in Spain
The new service allows Costco members to place orders through the dedicated portal sameday.costco.es , linked from the company's website in Spain. From this page, customers can select groceries, household goods, and other common warehouse items, complete their purchase online, and have it delivered directly to their chosen address.
The process is relatively simple: orders are processed at the nearest physical store , where the shopping cart is prepared, packaged, and then delivered to the customer's door. The goal is to replicate the in-club shopping experience, but without the need to travel to the warehouse.
As both companies explained, the service was created with the aim of offering same-day delivery , so members can complete their weekly shopping or restock essential items in a matter of hours. It's a similar model to the one Costco and Instacart have been operating for years in the United States and Canada, now adapted to the European context.
A key feature is that customers using this online option will enjoy the same prices as in-store , plus a fixed service fee per order. This approach aims to avoid surprises on the final bill and maintain a familiar pricing structure for regular customers.
Service scope: Spanish cities and European expansion
In its initial phase, the online sales service with same-day delivery covers all Costco locations in Spain . This includes the warehouses in Bilbao, Madrid, Seville, and Zaragoza, from which purchases and deliveries will be organized to the catchment areas of each store.
In the Community of Madrid, Costco has centers in Las Rozas (19 Innovación Street) and Getafe (17 AgustÃn de Betancourt Street), which will serve as the distribution points for online orders in the region. This strengthens the company's presence in one of the areas with the highest volume of online grocery shopping.
The initiative is not limited to the Spanish market: Costco has also launched the same service in France through sameday.costco.fr . There, coverage includes locations in the Paris metropolitan area and the city of Mulhouse , replicating the existing warehouse-based operating model.
This entire rollout relies on Instacart's Storefront Pro technology , the same platform that already powers Costco's same-day delivery sites in North America (sameday.costco.com and sameday.costco.ca). The expansion into Spain and France leverages a proven infrastructure, adapted to the specific logistical and regulatory requirements of Europe.
Requirements, prices and service conditions for members
Access to this new purchasing method is limited to existing members of the chain, as only Costco members can place same-day orders on the online sales website. In other words, the membership-based warehouse club model is maintained in the online channel as well, without being open to the general public.
Regarding Costco's pricing and revenue , online purchases maintain the same warehouse prices , plus a flat service fee per shipment. Information shared by the companies mentions a flat commission per order, and some channels specify a service fee of €15 , along with a minimum order of €35 . These amounts may be subject to adjustments based on commercial policy and local conditions.
The available products include food staples , everyday essentials, and other items typically found in physical clubs. The catalog is being integrated into the Storefront Pro platform, allowing members to browse categories and filter according to their needs, just like in other online supermarkets.
Costco's intention is that this channel not replace the in-store experience, but rather complement it as an alternative for those who cannot travel or prefer home delivery. In this way, the range of options is broadened for different customer profiles, from families planning large purchases to users who need to restock products quickly.
Instacart's role and its arrival in the Spanish market
Instacart handles the technology and much of the logistics of the project, contributing its Storefront Pro platform and delivery solutions. This tool allows retailers like Costco to operate and scale online ordering programs without having to build the entire system from scratch.
In North America, Instacart works with over 1.800 grocery chains and retailers, serves nearly 100.000 stores, and enables hundreds of thousands of delivery drivers to earn income by preparing and delivering groceries. Its specialty is integrating online sales with brick-and-mortar stores, digitizing processes such as product selection, packaging, and order fulfillment.
With the agreement with Costco for Spain and France, the company effectively begins operations in these two European countries. To ensure compliance with local regulations, Instacart has stated that its logistics models align with the laws and regulations in force in each market, a particularly sensitive aspect in countries like Spain, where the gig economy has been subject to several regulatory reforms.
The company also highlights that, to offer a service experience similar to that in North America, it is partnering with European companies in each country. These companies participate in product selection, packaging, and final delivery to the customer, combining Instacart's technology with local logistics operators.
An alliance that strengthens Costco's strategy in Spain
The relationship between Costco and Instacart is not new: the two companies have been collaborating for years in the United States and Canada , where Instacart supports deliveries from numerous Costco locations and operates its same-day service websites. The expansion into Europe is seen as a natural extension of that collaboration.
Pierre Riel , Executive Vice President of the International Division at Costco, emphasized that the new online ordering and delivery service offers members in Spain and France greater flexibility in how they purchase products. He stated that this channel does not replace existing services but rather adds another option for accessing the product range.
Instacart CEO Chris Rogers emphasized that Costco has been a trusted partner for many years in North America and that the expansion into Europe demonstrates the company's e-commerce platform's ability to adapt to new markets. The collaboration with Costco in Spain and France represents another step in its international strategy.
Specifically within the Spanish market, Costco closed its most recent fiscal year with approximately 750.000 registered members, representing year-over-year growth of nearly 15%. The launch of online sales aims to solidify this customer base and facilitate access to the product range for those customers who, due to distance or other reasons, do not have a physical store readily available.
Overall, Costco's focus on the digital channel positions it more competitively in an environment where online grocery and household purchases have become the norm. For consumers, the main advantage is the ability to combine the chain's typical bulk buying model with the convenience of home delivery , something increasingly valued in everyday life.
With this launch, Costco is decisively introducing same-day online delivery in Spain, relying on Instacart's technology and logistics expertise to operate from its warehouses in Bilbao, Madrid, Seville, and Zaragoza, maintain store prices, and offer its members an additional alternative to stock up on groceries without leaving home.
