Costco store visits have surged, while other major retailers have remained flat. Bloomberg/Getty Images Costco keeps getting busier, with store visits up by more than 18% over the last seven years. Traffic trends at Walmart and Target are mostly flat, according to Placer.ai. The growth brings additional pressure on warehouses, and Costco is having to get creative with fixes. Costco's sprawling sales floor is sometimes likened to a racetrack, but lately it can feel more like a demolition derby.