Canada's biggest Costco is in St. John's — and it's a 190,000 sq ft monster

Think the bulk-buying warehouse chain is just a suburban chore? In St. John's, Newfoundland, it's become a point of local pride. The neighbourhood of Galway, on the city's western edge, is home to the largest Costco in Canada — a 190,000-square-foot warehouse that opened in 2019. That's roughly 40,000 square feet bigger than a typical store, and enough space to wander the aisles in a mood somewhere between grocery run and road-trip attraction.

Costco isn't actually Canadian by origin — the chain started in Seattle, Washington, and its first store north of the border opened in Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1985. Forty years on, there are around 115 warehouses across Canada, with more planned in Alberta and elsewhere. Globally, the brand now stretches to Japan, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, among other countries.

So how does Canada's biggest stack up internationally? Not quite at the top. The world's largest Costco sits in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 235,000 square feet — about four football fields — and combines a regular warehouse with a business centre under one roof. St. John's, though, comfortably holds the national title.

The provincial league table makes for fun road-trip trivia. Ontario leads with 43 warehouses, and new locations are planned for Caledon, Oakville and Wasaga Beach. Quebec follows with 25, then Alberta with 20. A new Winnipeg store opens on November 13, though its size isn't confirmed yet. At the other end of the scale, Prince Edward Island and all three Canadian territories remain Costco-free — so if you're holidaying in Charlottetown or Whitehorse, bring your own snacks.

Why should a traveller care? Honestly, it's a quirky addition to a St. John's itinerary rather than a reason to book a flight — but the city itself rewards the trip, with the colourful houses of Jellybean Row, the harbour-side pubs of George Street and the dramatic cliff walks near Signal Hill and Cape Spear. Swinging by the Galway warehouse for the famously cheap hot dog combo is a light-hearted bonus, and a handy spot to stock a car before driving out along the Irish Loop or up to Bonavista. Fans of superlative-chasing retail oddities — the kind of person who detours to the world's largest ball of twine — will find it a satisfying checkmark on the provincial bucket list.

For now, Newfoundland and Labrador keeps the bragging rights, at least until someone builds something bigger.

Curiocity