How Much Does It Cost To Build A Shopping App Like Costco?

Even if people browse items on multiple devices, you can see smartphone shopping is still their preferred choice. Over 50% of all internet payments are already made through mobile devices in most regions of the world, with in-app transactions being the most popular.  

As more customers purchase on smartphones, enterprises of any kind are turning to e-commerce applications to improve their on-the-go experiences. Are you looking to expand your business by entering the e-commerce space with a customized custom shopping app Like Costco? 

Let's figure out the cost to build an app like Costco from this blog. However, before starting the process, you should look at the other factors we've tackled in this blog rather than relying only on the cost of developing an e-commerce app.
 

What Is A Costo App? 

The Costco app enables users to explore and buy a variety of goods. For example, food, electronics, and more. Also, users can view the current discounts and locate the closest Costco locations and can access membership details. Users can avail the services like prescription refills, digital membership cards, and photo printing.  

It makes shopping with the shopping app like Costco, shopping becomes easy with its intuitive navigation and quick checkout options. So, if you have a similar idea then you must first determine the cost to build an app like Costco.     
 

Market Statistics & Growth Of Costco App! 

Source: Statista 

• Costco's global net sales have increased annually, from 110.2 billion dollars in 2014 to 237.7 billion dollars in 2023.
• The bulk of Costco's American clientele in 2023 was between the ages of 18 and 49.
• More than 800 warehouses located in 14 different countries across the world are home to Costco, which employs over 300,000 people.
• Costco's market value is $352.94 billion as of May 2024. Based on our data, this places Costco as the 26th most valuable firm in the world by market capitalization.

What Is the Cost To Build An App Like Costco?

The cost to build an app like Costco hinges on a few factors. For example the app development firm you work with and the app development process itself. We can give a rough example. A simple Costco-like app can be anywhere $10,000. However, a moderate app would cost you in the range of $15,000.   
  

Moreover, the cost to build a shopping app like Costco can go up to $30,000, if you create a full-featured app. Let’s look at the table given below:    

Key Factors Affecting the Cost To Build An App Like Costco 

Businesses are bringing their physical stores online and are curious about the cost to build an app like Costco. Although there isn't a set number for eCommerce app development cost because it relies on different factors. However, we have given the factors that affect the cost to build an app like Costco: 

Platform Compatibility 

Your cost to build an app like Costco will rely on the choice of your platform. The platform you choose for your project will figure out if it is cross-platform, iOS, or Android. Most of the time, iOS costs more than Android or cross-platform. Since this is the case, cross-platform coding is the best choice for you.  

UX UI Design

Customers really like designs that are easy to use and look good. You should spend money on UI UX design if you want people to download your app. It will make your eCommerce apps like Costco better for users and help you get new customers, which will increase participation. But using an advanced design in your app will cost more because it can make the cost to build an app like Costco a bit high.  

 
Features & Functionality

Adding intricate or advanced features to your app may raise the cost to build an app like Costco. Some of these advanced functions are AR/VR try-ons, game-like experiences, and more. Adding such modern functions can make it more expensive to make an app like Costco. So, it's critical to get help from developers with a lot of expertise.  

Development Team Location

You can also change the cost to build an app like Costco by where your development team is located. This is mostly because of the cost of labor, overhead costs, and changes in the value of the dollar. It usually costs more to hire coders from North America or the UK. A lot of the time, though, eCommerce mobile app developers in Asian countries like India offer low prices without sacrificing quality. If you decide on the second choice, building a complicated shopping app like Costco will save your company a lot of money. 

 
App Maintenance

Ongoing help and maintenance for apps keep them flexible and make their operations run more smoothly. Investing in app upkeep is also an important part of making apps like Costco's. But it can change the cost to build an app like Costco.  

Must-have Features To Build An App Like Costco 

To make your ecommerce app a big hit, you need to add unique features that will get a lot of users to use it. But adding these features can increase the cost to build an app like Costco. So, choose wisely. Let's talk about the features of developing apps like Costco:

Easy Signup

A key aspect for any online shopping app, like Costco's. For customers, this lets them make accounts and set up personal pages in the app. To keep an eye on the safety of your account, let users edit their profiles using a variety of login methods, such as an OTP, an email, or two-factor authentication.  

Product Listings

There are a lot of different kinds of goods on a wholesale e-commerce marketplace like Costco. So, you should let sellers make thorough listings of their goods. For example, prices, pictures, descriptions, and any different versions that are available, among other things.

   
Search and Filter

You need to add a search and filter feature so that users can quickly find the goods they want by name, category, brand, gender, or other factors. They can also narrow down their search results by color, price, reviews, availability, and other factors. 

 
Membership System

When you want to make an online wholesale market like Costco, you need to use a method based on memberships. Users can pay a fee to receive special deals, discounts, and other benefits with this feature. 

Payment Gateways Integration 

Adding payment channels to a mobile shopping app is a standard feature that makes shopping fun. Payment channel integration can work with a number of common payment methods.  Adding payment gateway features can increase the cost to build an app like Costco. 

Add To Cart 

When you hire mobile app developers, make sure that the cart feature is easy for users to understand and that they can change the items in their cart, apply discounts or coupon codes, and save items to buy later. It also increases the cost to build an app like Costco.   

Push Notifications

Your app should also have a strategic push notification system to let users know about new deals, the state of their orders, special offers, and other important news. It also lets users change how they want to receive notifications so that they are relevant and don't get in the way. 

Social Sharing

With over 5.04 billion regular users on social media sites and 62.3% of the world's population. It's important to keep an eye on social sharing trends. You can add social sharing to your shopping app so that users can share lists of products with their social network. This helps spread the word about the business and promotes natural growth.  

Bulk Ordering

Like the Costco app, you should let people buy a lot of your goods at once. To get people to buy in bulk, you can use features like volume discounts or tiered prices. Also, be sure to let buyers know exactly what the minimum and highest order amounts are which can increase the cost to build an app like Costco. 

Review and Rating

Set up a system for ratings and reviews so that customers can leave comments and ratings on things they've bought in the past. It will help the market become more trustworthy and open, which will help other users feel good about their buying decisions. 

AI Integration

Adding AI features like voice search, chatbots, and prediction analytics helps improve different parts of the shopping app, which leads to more engaged users and higher conversion rates. As you know the cost to build an app like Costco can increase with AI technology integration.   

How To Develop An App Like Costco?

Retail businesses go through a number of stages and concerns while developing a shopping app. You must follow the steps to build an app like Costco: 

Validate Your App Idea 

First, you need to get professional advice on your idea for a Costco-like app. The greatest approach to start creating a shopping app that looks like Costco is to perform preliminary market research and predictive analysis. You can target customer preferences, find possible trends for online shopping apps, and evaluate competitors' opportunities and challenges by conducting market trend research. 

Create A Feature List 

Find the most important features and functions of your mobile shopping app development by doing study. However, you should choose the features wisely if your budget is low as it can increase the cost to build an app like Costco. In addition to the standard features like zoom-in/out, language support, and virtual try-on, consider what particular demands your product has to set it apart from the competition.

  
Design UI/UX 

The development of a rational and pleasing UI/UX design for the mobile application is the next vital stage. Ensuring smooth user interactions and prioritizing easy navigation are crucial. Create prototypes and wireframes to see how the finished product will appear and feel. To comprehend and enhance user experience, always keep consistency in color schemes, typography, design elements, and branding while creating mockups. 

Develop Your Own Costco App 

It is critical to use the right tech stack in order to realize your concept for the mobile app development process. This covers databases, frameworks, and programming languages for creating the front end and back end of your application. At this stage, your top ecommerce app development companies create a full product catalog, incorporate safe payment gateways, improve security protocols, and incorporate additional features to ensure that it works with various devices and displays. 

Test Your App 

For sure continuous operation and overall app performance, extensive testing and quality assurance are required prior to preparing to release the finished product onto the market. In order to address potential problems, faults, vulnerabilities, and malfunctions early in the development cycle, there are numerous automated testing tools and frameworks available. 

Final Release 

Start submitting your app to the selected stores, after testing. You must follow the guidelines and policies of the app store to ensure prompt approval and distribution. Lastly, to ensure long-term dependability, you must constantly assess the speed, stability, and general user experience of your app. To stay ahead of the competition, keep adding new features, fixing bugs, and adding other security changes to your software by following app development trends. 
 

Ready To Create An App Like Costco? Let’s Connect! 

Since the e-commerce market has so many chances to flourish, now is the ideal time to start your business and develop an app like Costco. As you are well-versed with the cost to build an app like Costco, you can start! To begin working on this app idea, you'll have to hire a mobile app development company like IMG Global Infotech. We show how to make the app concept into an updated mobile app by using advanced technologies and high-level features.