Costco has become a symbol of American abundance.

A place where you can buy a 10-pound rack of ribs, Christmas lights, a new winter coat, shoes for your kids, a flat-screen TV or those delicious gluten-free macarons. You can get a massive slice of pizza for $1.99. If you’re a hungry high schooler, you can buy the whole pie for about $10.

A handful of viral videos on TikTok and X show people from communist countries such as Cuba, as well as former Soviet bloc nations, having emotional reactions as they first experience the store’s aisles of plenty, wandering awestruck amid cases of oversized meats, prepared food and clothing.

To some degree, most of us feel that sense of wonder when we walk into one of these warehouses.

Point is, Costco is a beloved part of American culture. A place whe

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