Costco Malaga will open in 2027 with 200 employees and 25,000 members

Malaga now has more details about the future Costco hypermarket that will open between March and April 2027.

On Monday, Marketing Director Carlos Amaro revealed that the shop will open with 200 direct employees. Their aim is to attract 25,000 members by the opening date. Costco works exclusively with members who, in the case of Malaga, will be paying 36.30 euros per year to shop there.

The membership recruitment centre will open at the Málaga Nostrum shopping centre this September or October. "We need to have members before opening. Otherwise, we can't do it," Amaro said.

Once a customer has their membership card, they can use it at any other Costco in Spain and around the world. Anyone who joins before the shop opens will receive a gift.

The hypermarket in Malaga will be the sixth Costco in Spain, following the ones in Seville, Bilbao, Las Rozas, Getafe and Zaragoza).

Antxon Taberna, director of Teknical Consulting (the company that designed the project), revealed some more technical details: 14,500 square metres over three levels.

The basement and ground floor will mostly cover parking spaces (27,000 square metres with approximately 640 parking spaces, as well as a tire sales and installation workshop).

The first (main) floor will have a total area of 13,800 square metres, with more than 8,500 square metres for the sales and display area, in addition to services such as food preparation.

Taberna also said that the building will meet Costco's requirements for efficiency in terms of insulation, climate control and smart lighting. The building has replaced Málaga Nostrum's former cinemas, which closed exactly one year ago.

Javier Marín, CEO of Bogaris (the development company behind Málaga Nostrum), praised the shopping centre's long history since its opening in 2004.

"We're always striving to win the league, to be in the top division, but with Costco, we've entered the Champions League of commercial projects. Costco exudes quality in every sense: in employment, in the product, in the services and in the buildings. We are very proud and pleased to have a Costco in Málaga Nostrum," Marín said.

He also thanked Mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre for the speed with which the urban development project was processed, as well as for his "political support".

Diane Tucci, CEO of Costco for Spain and France, highlighted the scale of the distribution company where she has worked for three decades. "It's the second largest retailer in the world, present in 14 countries, with more than 340,000 employees. Our business model is the same worldwide, in the US, Canada, China and Korea. It will remain the same in Spain. Everything we do has to be a win-win for all of you," Tucci said.

She also outlined the company's priorities: "When we open a store, we provide at least 200 permanent jobs, create more business for our suppliers and offer excellent quality products at the lowest possible price for our members. Shareholders aren't first. They come last, after our members, suppliers and employees."

Tucci acknowledged Spain and its products, which Costco makes available all around the world. "It's a way of giving back to the country where we've come to do business," Tucci said.

She also announced that, after the opening in Malaga in 2027, they will open two more shops in Spain: "We continue to look for locations in major Spanish cities and will continue developing our business model with the same passion and dedication as when we opened our first shop in Seville."

At the closing of the ceremony, Francisco de la Torre drew a parallel between Malaga and San Diego, where the first Costco opened. "Malaga is the San Diego of Europe," he joked, before mentioning that the city's airport is very well connected to the US and Canada (Diane Tucci's country of origin).

De la Torre also promoted the Costco in the Costa del Sol and the surrounding retail area as a hub for all of eastern Andalucía and North Africa. "It's a retail park of extraordinary importance for Malaga, for the province and beyond," he stated.