Costco shoppers are mourning the loss of a much-loved service at one Arizona warehouse after the retailer appears to have permanently pulled the plug on its propane refill station.
The NW Tucson Costco, warehouse No. 431, has become the latest location to lose the service, prompting an outpouring of frustration from customers who say they relied on the warehouse for cheap, full propane refills.
And some loyal members think they know why Costco is getting out of the propane business. The closure was flagged by a shopper on Reddit earlier this month, who posted a picture of the now-defunct station with the title: 'Another propane station bites the dust (NW Tucson #431).'
The post quickly attracted hundreds of reactions, with one longtime customer saying they had used the station for 25 years.
'My grills drank the sweet liquid propane gas from this tap for 25 years,' the shopper wrote. 'It's a sad day for us all.'
The NW Tucson warehouse, at 3901 W Costco Drive, has been operating since 1989. Costco's current official listing still shows the warehouse, gas station and tire center, but propane is no longer listed among its services.
For customers who had become accustomed to filling their tanks during a routine Costco run, it is an unwelcome change. One Reddit user said the service had effectively been a Tucson institution, claiming it was the only Costco location in the city they knew to have offered propane.
Another said they would simply switch to Tractor Supply, while others pointed out that U-Haul and local businesses still offer propane refills.
The NW Tucson Costco, warehouse No. 431, has become the latest location to lose the service, prompting an outpouring of frustration from customers who say they relied on the warehouse for cheap, full propane refills
But the bigger question is why Costco is seemingly getting rid of a service that shoppers insist offered some of the cheapest propane around. One particularly striking claim came from a Reddit commenter who said they had spoken to an attendant at the Costco in Prescott, Arizona, several years ago.
According to the commenter, the employee claimed there was a senior executive who 'HATES the propane side of the business' despite it performing well financially.
The commenter alleged that the executive had wanted to eliminate propane for years and suggested the recent closures could finally be the result.
There is no independent evidence that this claim is true, and Costco has not publicly identified any executive as being responsible for a decision to eliminate propane.
Still, the rumor has added fuel to an increasingly widespread discussion among Costco members about whether the retailer is systematically moving away from propane refills.
That discussion is not limited to Tucson. Costco customers in Canada have been reporting propane closures throughout 2026, with members describing stations disappearing at locations across the country.
Some shoppers have said the closures are corporate-wide, although the timing has varied by warehouse. There have also been reports from US Costco shoppers of propane stations disappearing in places including Florida.
At a Winter Park, Florida, Costco, for example, a shopper reported that the propane station closed in April and was subsequently removed, with the space being converted into additional parking.
For customers who had become accustomed to filling their tanks during a routine Costco run, it is an unwelcome change
That could offer a clue as to what is happening. Propane might be popular with customers, but running a refill station comes with costs and logistical headaches.
Unlike simply selling a sealed propane tank, refilling cylinders requires trained employees, equipment, inspections and safety procedures.
The stations can also occupy valuable space in already crowded Costco parking lots.
That is particularly significant for a retailer whose warehouses are often packed with shoppers.
Several Costco members discussing the closures have pointed to the same explanation: parking spaces may simply be worth more to the company than the propane operation.
One Reddit commenter argued that removing a propane installation can return roughly eight to ten parking spaces to a warehouse.
For Costco members, the appeal was straightforward: they could refill a tank rather than exchange it for another cylinder, potentially getting more fuel for less money while keeping their own tank.
'It's like $13 to fill up a tank and everywhere else I go it's 20 or more,' one Tucson customer wrote.
Now, members are being forced to look elsewhere.
