Automologist Atherton finds this new way of selling cars rather peculiar.
Imagine walking into Costco to buy a giant pack of toilet paper, some frozen food and maybe a new TV.
Then, somewhere between the refrigerators and the electronics section, you spot a Porsche 911.
No, this isn’t a scene from some automotive fever dream.
Costco really has been putting Porsche in front of its members — although there is an important catch. Costco itself isn’t exactly becoming a Porsche dealer.
In the US, Porsche models have appeared through the Costco Auto Program, which connects Costco members with participating dealers. Current listings include models such as the 2026 Porsche 911, Cayenne, Cayenne EV, Macan, Panamera and Taycan. The programme has attracted attention because some of these cars are being offered to Costco members at MSRP, rather than the sort of inflated pricing buyers can sometimes encounter for desirable Porsche models.
So technically, you aren’t buying your Porsche from the same Costco cashier who just scanned your 48-pack of toilet rolls.
But the idea is still pretty unusual.
And Japan has taken this concept one step further.
From July 13 to July 26, 2026, a Costco warehouse in Kadoma, Osaka hosted a Porsche display in collaboration with Porsche Center Kita Osaka. The star of the show was a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, sitting rather proudly inside the warehouse environment.
Just imagine doing your weekly grocery shopping and suddenly being confronted by a 911.
“Excuse me, where’s the chicken?”
“Third aisle.”
“And the Porsche?”
“Also, apparently, third aisle.”
Of course, the Japanese example wasn’t Costco suddenly stocking Porsches like televisions. It was a promotional and sales-support exercise involving the Porsche Centre. The actual vehicle purchase still goes through the appropriate automotive sales channel.
But this isn’t the first time manufacturers have experimented with unconventional ways of selling cars.
Back in 2014, Volvo made headlines when it offered 1,927 units of the XC90 First Edition exclusively through digital commerce. The entire allocation sold out in just 47 hours, with Volvo reporting that sales peaked at seven cars per minute.
And Malaysia has its own interesting example.
In December 2017, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia teamed up with Lazada to sell 12 limited-edition Volkswagen Beetles online. All 12 were snapped up in just 20 minutes, with the first car reportedly sold only 26 seconds after the sale opened.
So, no, buying a car online isn’t exactly new.
What is changing is the environment surrounding the purchase.
Car manufacturers and retailers are increasingly experimenting with digital platforms, membership programmes, online reservations and non-traditional retail spaces to reach customers.
Costco’s approach is particularly interesting because it doesn’t necessarily remove the dealer from the equation. Instead, it acts more like a bridge between its members and participating dealers.
And perhaps that is the future.
Are people actually getting tired of traditional dealerships?
Hard to say.
Personally, I’m still the type who would rather walk into a showroom, look at the car properly, sit inside it, fiddle with the buttons, ask ridiculous questions about the equipment, take it for a test drive and then decide whether I actually want to spend the money.
Buying a Porsche while shopping for a bulk pack of detergent sounds entertaining, but I’m not entirely convinced I’m ready for it.
Then again, there will always be customers who prefer convenience. If they already know exactly what they want, why spend two hours at a showroom negotiating when much of the research and initial buying process can be done digitally?
The dealership isn’t necessarily disappearing either.
For servicing, maintenance, warranty requirements and other after-sales matters, owners will still have to follow the manufacturer’s prescribed procedures and use the appropriate service network where required.
So perhaps the dealership isn’t dying.
Maybe it’s simply changing its job.
Instead of being the place where customers discover everything about a car, it could increasingly become the place where customers complete the final stages of a purchase, collect the vehicle and receive after-sales support.
And honestly, that’s probably a more realistic future than Costco becoming the world’s biggest car dealer.
Still, don’t be surprised if one day you’re walking through a Malaysian hypermarket looking for diapers and a carton of milk when you suddenly spot a shiny Porsche sitting beside the promotional aisle.
At that point, the only question left might be:
“Can I use my membership card for the Porsche too?”
