The Fun Way Costco Celebrates Its Store Anniversaries

It's hard to believe there was ever a time when shoppers didn't have a Costco warehouse close by, offering bulk toilet paper, Kirkland-branded groceries, rotisserie chicken that's a step above the rest, and a $1.50 hot dog from the famous food court. The first ever Costco opened in Seattle, Washington in 1983, and as of 2023, the retailer has expanded to a whopping 859 warehouses, per VisualCapitalist. Each location that opens adds to the Costco legacy, and deserves a celebration when it has hit certain milestones. Many Costco warehouses have started a tradition of treating their employees with a giant sheet cake on the anniversary of their location's opening date.

The customizable sheet cake dessert from Costco's bakery is a classic — but the cakes made especially for a store's anniversary are an extra-large treat. A warehouse in Madison Heights, Michigan celebrated its 25-year anniversary with a cake so giant it needed to be supported by stacks of crates. A photo of the cake was posted to a Reddit thread on r/Costco, showing off an intricate design of the warehouse's exterior. 

According to the original poster, this location shared the love with both employees and members, offering shoppers a slice as they entered the store. Meanwhile, Costco location 106 in Aurora Village celebrated its 30-year anniversary with an extra-large cake featuring the Costco logo and a message of thanks to employees and members. One commenter replied to the Reddit post, "Took me a while to realize that the cake was actually a cake," due to its size.

It isn't just Costco's store locations that have anniversaries worth celebrating. While shopping at Costco, shoppers may notice that certain employees have special silver or gold name tags. While you might assume that it is a show of status, like shift lead or manager, these special name tags are actually given out when a Costco employee hits a special work anniversary. Once an employee has worked with Costco for 25 years, they receive a special silver name tag that indicates their long-time service. Gold name tags signify 40 years of service, although this is currently a rather rare sighting, since the oldest Costco location is only 41 years old. 

On top of a shiny new name tag, certain veteran employees have also reported receiving special cakes with the employee's name and the Costco logo in celebration of their work anniversary. And according to one TikToker who recently celebrated their 25-year Costco anniversary, they received a certificate of service, a letter of thanks from the CEO, a silver badge, a lifetime membership, and a $5,000 check "as a gift." While these gifts are not guaranteed and may vary by location and manager, it's clear that Costco takes its anniversaries seriously.