Costco is running special opening hours for elderly and disabled customers during the coronavirus pandemic

• Costco is offering special shopping hours for its elderly and disabled customers.
• The idea is that these shoppers, who are more vulnerable to the coronavirus, are able to browse and shop the store when it's less busy.
• The warehouse chain has been inundated with customers in recent weeks as the spread of the coronavirus intensifies and shoppers look to stock up with goods.
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Costco joins several major retailers in the US by offering dedicated shopping hours for its elderly and disabled customers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The warehouse chain has been inundated by shoppers in recent weeks as concerns over the spread of the coronavirus intensify and customers flock to stores to stock up on goods. Videos and photos previously shared by shoppers online show giant lines outside stores and bare shelves as customers load up their carts.

The idea with this dedicated shopping time is that customers that are more vulnerable to the coronavirus are able to browse and shop the store when it's less busy.

The dedicated opening hours vary by store. Photographs of signs informing customers of this new service, which were shared by shoppers online, show that in some stores the special shopping time is offered daily. In others, it is twice weekly, for example.

A spokesperson for Costco did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on whether this service has been rolled out to all its stores across the US.

Major US retailers including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, and Stop & Shop, have also rolled out similar shopping hours for their higher-risk customers. In these stores, the dedicated hours run early in the morning before the stores open or during its first few hours of opening.