The Black Friday shopping frenzy took a dramatic turn as Costco’s website reportedly went offline, leaving millions of shoppers across the U.S. unable to access deals. Frustrated customers flooded social media with complaints, demanding explanations and immediate action from the retail giant.
In the last hour, Google searches for “Costco website down” have surged, indicating the scale of the issue.
Why is Costco’s website down during Black Friday?
As of now, Costco has not released an official statement regarding the outage. However, reports on Downdetector show that over 700 users have experienced issues accessing the site. Many users have encountered an “internal server error,” suggesting the website might be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of traffic during the peak shopping period.
Additionally, several users have reported problems accessing Costco’s mobile app, adding to the chaos for those looking to secure holiday deals.
How does the outage impact shoppers?
The website crash has disrupted Black Friday plans for countless Costco members, especially those looking to purchase high-demand items like electronics, household goods, and exclusive products such as gold bars.
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What are the broader implications for Black Friday sales?
According to a Bain and Company report, sales between Black Friday and Cyber Monday are expected to hit $75 billion this year, representing a 5% increase compared to 2023. This growth is partly driven by consumers starting their holiday shopping earlier, as Christmas falls midweek in 2024.
However, Costco’s website outage could result in significant revenue losses for the company during one of the most crucial sales days of the year. The incident also highlights the importance of robust technological infrastructure to handle high-demand events like Black Friday.
What are shoppers saying about the outage?
Social media has become the outlet for frustrated Costco customers. Comments from X (formerly Twitter) include:
- “The worst time for the site to go down. You’ve ruined Black Friday for me.”
- “Costco should’ve been better prepared for this. Totally unacceptable.”
- “Even the app is down. Now what?”
Some users found humor in the situation, blaming latecomers for the crash:
“It was fine at 6 am. This happens because people wait until the last minute.”
If you’re looking to shop Costco deals but the website and app are still inaccessible, consider these alternatives:
- Visit a physical store if possible.
- Look for similar items on other online retailers that still have stock.
- Save items in your cart to try purchasing again once the site is back online.
