Pensacola’s long-awaited first Costco is almost here. The warehouse club opens at 8 a.m. on June 25 at 225 E. Nine Mile Road, capping a years-long push by locals to land the membership giant. The timing also lines up with good news for shoppers statewide, as Costco has just trimmed prices on several Kirkland Signature products.
Here’s what to expect on opening day, what has gotten cheaper, and where the company is headed next in Florida.
When and where the Pensacola Costco opens
The store opens Thursday, June 25, at 8 a.m., on Nine Mile Road at the corner of Chemstrand Road. Costco first filed plans in June 2024 and won county approval that August, with construction running since the start of this year. Until now, area members have had to drive to the Costco in Mobile, Alabama, to shop.
What the new Pensacola store includes
This is a full-size build, not a stripped-down version. The 172,580-square-foot warehouse includes a gas station and liquor store and sits on just under 22 acres with about 830 parking spaces, along with a tire center and a pharmacy. It rises on the site of a long-shuttered Kmart in an aging strip mall that also lost a Planet Fitness, tucked between AJ’s Seafood and Grill and a Wells Fargo branch.
Opening day doubles as a local jobs boost. Costco has been hiring, with most positions starting between $20 and $33 an hour. Shopping inside requires a membership. Gold Star runs $65 a year and Executive costs $130, and applicants must be at least 16, though the pharmacy is open to everyone regardless of membership.
Kirkland Signature price cuts: what’s cheaper
Costco lowered prices on several Kirkland items during its third quarter, which ended in early June, and executives walked through the changes on a May 29 earnings call. Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said the company tries to be first to cut prices wherever it sees the chance…