Costco has long been the king of bulk buying and private-label loyalty. Its warehouses, stocked with pallets of everything from giant bags of coffee beans to surprisingly great Kirkland-brand dress shirts, have earned it an incredibly loyal membership base. But in the age of e-commerce, does Costco have what it takes to evolve into something like an Amazon competitor?

At first glance, it seems like Costco is lagging. Their online experience is limited, and their digital strategy feels more “1999 catalog” than “Prime ecosystem.” But what if their perceived disadvantage is actually their hidden strength?

Here’s the case: Costco doesn’t need to be Amazon. It has something Amazon didn’t have when it started—established trust and a vast network of strategically located brick-and-mortar stores. Imagine Costco leveraging its physical footprint as a hybrid e-commerce hub. Each warehouse becomes a distribution center, cutting down on last-mile delivery costs while giving members the option of same-day in-store pickup or returns.

And then there’s the Kirkland Signature brand—arguably one of the most trusted private labels in the world. From olive oil to down jackets, Kirkland could dominate categories online in a way that generic third-party sellers on Amazon simply can’t.

The real advantage, though, is timing. By coming late to the e-commerce game, Costco can learn from Amazon’s early missteps. No need to waste billions experimenting with low-margin, third-party marketplaces or drone delivery—Costco can zero in on what works. A streamlined, membership-focused e-commerce experience that stays true to its value-first philosophy might be all it needs to carve out a niche.

Amazon thrives on ubiquity, while Costco thrives on scarcity—you go there because it has just enough of what you need, at prices you can’t resist. The challenge is building an online experience that retains the same sense of discovery and value while leveraging the logistics lessons Amazon has already learned.

Costco might not be Amazon 2.0, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be Costco 2.0—and that might just be enough to shift the game.

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P.S. I’ve been sick this past week, and have been relying on Amazon for basics. But I also hate the idea of giving Bezos any more money for his penis rockets so here we are.