How has Costco changed cake ordering?

Costco moves custom cake orders into the app

One of the most visible changes to a longtime supermarket ritual is now digital: customers can place custom cake orders through Costco’s mobile app. The shift replaces the old in-store clipboard and handwritten forms with a streamlined, app-based workflow intended to cut friction for shoppers and the warehouse bakery teams.

Why the change matters

The app rollout modernizes a process that many found awkward and time-consuming. Customers can now:

• Start and submit an order remotely rather than filling out a paper form in the store;
• See options and upload design references from their phones; and
• Potentially receive confirmations and pick-up reminders without waiting in the bakery aisle.

Operational and customer impacts

For customers, the app should reduce confusion and the back-and-forth that used to happen at the clipboard. For stores, digital orders can help bakery staff manage timing, inventory, and staffing for large custom requests. The change also fits a broader retail trend of shifting manual, time-consuming services into digital channels to improve speed and accuracy.

What’s still unknown

• Rollout details: It’s unclear whether every warehouse has the same functionality or when all locations will be fully integrated.
• Limits on customization: The full extent of design options and whether complex, last-minute changes are supported in the app varies by store.
• Operational strain: How the new system will affect peak days or large holiday volumes has yet to be tested in all markets.

For shoppers who frequently use Costco’s bakery, the app change promises real convenience; for those who prefer hands-on, in-person ordering, the option to do things the old way may still exist for now.