Within a few weeks, an entire section will disappear from all Costco stores in the US

Costco shoppers will soon see an entire section disappear from all stores.

From January, the wholesaler will stop stocking books all year round.

The company announced the change in June, throwing in the towel on its long-running dispute with Amazon over book sales.

The retailer has been in a battle with the tech giant since it began selling books online in 1995.

This means that after the holidays, shoppers will see the stores’ layout redesigned, with no dedicated book section.

Books have already been removed from store shelves in Alaska and Hawaii, with other states following suit in January.

The retailer will only stock books during the holidays from September to December, with occasional sales throughout the rest of the year.

Costco claimed the move away from books was due to the labor costs required to store them, executives said.

Starting in January, the wholesaler will no longer stock books all year long (Image: A book section in an Illinois store)

The additional work required compared to other products comes from the time it takes to publish books every Tuesday when new copies are released and to return unsold copies to publishers.

Given its size, Costco often ordered tens of thousands of copies of a book it had in stock.

The big bestsellers could have hundreds of thousands of copies per title in stock.

The move is a blow to publishers struggling with stagnant sales as more customers buy books online on sites like Amazon.

“Costco was a big market for books across the country,” Robert Gottlieb, chairman of Trident Media Group, told The New York Times earlier this year.

“There are now fewer and fewer options for buying books in retail,” he explained.

“It’s an easy place to just catch up on the latest in a series you’re reading or pick up a book for your child,” Brenna Connor, the director of U.S. books at Circana, told the outlet.

Because of its size, Costco would often order tens of thousands of copies of a book it had in stock (pictured: a book section in a California store)

The retailer has been at loggerheads with Amazon since the tech giant began selling books online in 1995

This comes as Costco has begun cracking down on its membership policies, requiring a card scan with ID before allowing entry.

The retailer announced earlier this year that scanning devices would be installed across all warehouses, and these have already been spotted at several locations.

“In addition, if your membership card does not contain a photo, please be prepared to show your valid photo ID. “We encourage you to stop by the membership counter and have a photo taken for your card,” Costco said in a statement.

Anyone wanting to shop now has to be accompanied by a member instead of just holding the card – meaning parents can no longer send their kids on a Costco run alone.

Previously, customers entering their local Costco weren’t necessarily stopped by an employee to check if they were a member.

The wholesaler also increased its membership prices in September for the first time in seven years.

The standard membership increased by $5 $60 to $65 per year.