Urban camping

Found a picture of OP:

You might get away with it, but here’s the part that really sucks: you’d be stuck in the shed until they opened the next day. No riding a bike down the aisles, not even any trips to the bathroom. The alarm system likely has motion sensors, and the cops are called automatically when the alarm goes off.

I used to work at Costco in loss prevention (for real) - yes you'd be found instantly. However, rather than calling the cops, the store would autonomously release the intruder bot 3000, which would deal with the problem and clean it up prior to store open. It's really cool what AI can do nowadays.
They probably have employees stocking at night. So no security system unless you try to open the wrong door, but you'll still probably get caught.
- Good point. That may be the case as well. Either way, no bathroom breaks!
There's enough birds in a hardware store that I very much doubt they have motion detectors.
- Sure they can. Just aim/calibrate/whatever so they only detect stuff at floor level, or beyond a certain size.
- ..birds? Just flying around the store crapping everywhere until they start pining for the fjords? 🤨

Costco evening employee here:

Yeah, we check those at closing time. As well as behind the mattresses, the bathrooms and anywhere else someone might reasonably hide. There are generally people stocking stuff for 3-4 hours after the store closes and from 5 hours before the store opens in the morning.

There's a small window when the place is completely empty, but it's only from about midnight to 4am.

How about in the rafters? Can you guys even physically check up there? I'm just asking for a friend.
- We don''t check there, as we can literally look up into the rafters. But we do have the tools to physically check if we need to.
- They have those electric lift things. They can check up there.
  I don't know their proper names. We just called them scissor lifts
  Edit: apparently that is their proper name.

Just because the store closes doesn't necessarily mean it's empty, there's probably people restocking and cleaning in there

This. The parking lot always has cars because of the night shift restocking, cleaning, etc.
- And the homeless living out of their cars staying in a lot where they will not be disturbed by pigs.
- Yeah that sucks - I was half seriously considering how I could sneak for a night in a Costco the other day.

Not Costco but I walked into Walgreens last night about 10 minutes before close (paycheck didn't come through until fuckin' 9:45) to get some smokes and while I was standing at the register, they shut off the lights and only noticed me when someone came to lock the front door.

I get the feeling nobody is gonna be looking in the display shed for you. The only thing on their mind is closing out and going home. lol

Idk, the staffing at a Costco might be better.
If your a supervisor at a drug store, unless it's stocking day, you have yourself and a cashier, maybe another for some overlapping hours who is tasked with re-stocking/facing. The techs and pharmacist pretend like they aren't associated with the rest of the store and just walk right out without a care in the world. So at the end of the night, it's up to one individual to ensure the pharmacy drawers are removed, the pharmacist locked properly, and the store is clear.
- I love how you used pharmacist as both a location and a person in the same paragraph, and now I'm picturing them locking the pharmacist in a little cage after someone chases after to catch them when they just walk out.

You can get away with it if you cling to the ceiling Splinter Cell style when they check it for the night. Nobody looks up.

They even wrote a whole movie celebrating it! I believe it was called "Avoid Turning Your Gaze Skyward" or something like that..

It's possible. It happened frequently enough at IKEA that it became an internet meme/challenge and they had to start prosecuting people who did it.

The general store employees have a big "not my job" attitude about it. If it's time to clock out, it's your problem that you're still in the store after closing. Not likely to confront you about it unless you are wandering the aisles.

Cleaning staff will probably tell someone if they find you hiding out.

Security guards will be actively looking for you and also search in obvious places like tents and sheds that are set up indoors, as well as behind shelving units, in the backrooms, etc.

Yes, they check that kind of thing

If they're doing their jobs yes, I've found over time that even security guards aren't immune to people who just rubber stamp shit.

That thing is one bathroom away from becoming a 240,000 dollar tiny house

Check YT, Steve Wallis has probably already done it!

He has done it in an abandoned store, but I couldn't find anything about doing it in one that is still being used.

Challenge accepted!

Later:

24 HOUR OVERNIGHT CHALLENGE IN HOME DEPOT!!

24 HOUR OVERNIGHT
..how far north of the Arctic Circle IS this Home Depot? 🤔
- Yes

"The store is now closed, please exit the building."

It's funny the amount of people thinking this is a hardware store, I would recognize those aisles and ceilings anywhere. That's a Costco (the particular style of price plate also gives it away)

The /r/Costco screenshot is also a good indicator
- Nah, that's just a double bluff 😉
- No no, definitely not, reddit doesn't stay consistent (シ_ _)シ
I've also been seriously considering that shed for a few weeks...

I read a couple of very fun children's books based on that premise when I was a kid.

My first stop after closing time would be the gigantic apple pie in the bakery section.

What are you going to do with it?
- We're gonna have some alone time and see where things go.
That bakery section is so frustrating, now that my kids are in college. It’s so much better than my grocery but how can one guy do justice to it

Apsolutly not 😁

Likely not. If it weren't for the proximity sensors and contact sensors on the doors we'd never know when the mother-in-law escapes.

Probably not and nobody would care frankly

Easy molly raid.

Lol, dystopia, and not being allowed to exist.