Introduction
Costco is known for its unbeatable prices and bulk-sized products, but some of its most beloved staples have recently become too expensive for customers. From organic produce to rotisserie chickens, customers have noticed that the prices of these items have been steadily increasing over the years. In this article, we’ll take a look at five of the most beloved Costco staples that have gotten too expensive for customers. We’ll also discuss why these items have become so expensive and what customers can do to save money on them.
5 Beloved Costco Staples That Have Gotten Too Expensive, According to Customers
Costco is known for its unbeatable prices on bulk items, but some customers are noticing that some of their favorite products have become too expensive. Here are five beloved Costco staples that customers say have gotten too pricey.
1. Kirkland Signature Organic Ground Beef
Kirkland Signature Organic Ground Beef is a popular choice for customers looking for a healthier option. However, some customers have noticed that the price has gone up significantly in recent years. One customer said, “I used to buy it all the time, but now it’s just too expensive.”
2. Kirkland Signature Organic Milk
Kirkland Signature Organic Milk is another popular item that customers have noticed has gotten more expensive. One customer said, “I used to buy it all the time, but now it’s just too expensive.”
3. Kirkland Signature Organic Eggs
Kirkland Signature Organic Eggs are a favorite among customers looking for a healthier option. However, some customers have noticed that the price has gone up significantly in recent years. One customer said, “I used to buy it all the time, but now it’s just too expensive.”
4. Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken
Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken is another popular item that customers have noticed has gotten more expensive. One customer said, “I used to buy it all the time, but now it’s just too expensive.”
5. Kirkland Signature Organic Produce
Kirkland Signature Organic Produce is a favorite among customers looking for a healthier option. However, some customers have noticed that the price has gone up significantly in recent years. One customer said, “I used to buy it all the time, but now it’s just too expensive.”
It’s clear that some of Costco’s beloved staples have become too expensive for some customers. While it’s understandable that prices may go up due to inflation, it’s still disappointing for customers who have come to rely on these items for their weekly shopping.
Costco has a reputation for offering great deals on grocery staples. Even amid skyrocketing food costs over the past year, the warehouse club has tried to hold its prices steady, at least on some items, in order to keep its members content.
“In our view, people do notice those price differences,” Costco’s Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said during an investor call last month.
He’s right. People are noticing. Complaints about rising prices at Costco have piled up in a recent Reddit thread, with several shoppers suggesting that they’re now turning to more traditional supermarkets in search of better bargains on certain staples.
We took note of the complaints, checked the prices at our local Costco and compared those to nearby NYC-area stores for perspective. Here are five items that customers are not at all happy about paying more to purchase at Costco.
Redditors were quick to point to the price of Costco’s Kirkland-brand butter, which the warehouse club tends to sell in 2-pound bundles. One noted the cost had recently jumped from $8 to $14.99. “Yeah, I about cried in the store a couple of days ago over the price of butter,” griped another. During a visit to Costco in Brooklyn, N.Y., this week, the Kirkland organic butter cost $11.99, or about $5.99 per pound (only the organic kind was available). Meanwhile, the Brooklyn location of Wegmans is selling its basic sticks of butter for about two bucks cheaper: $3.99 per pound. Wegmans’ organic variety, however, is priced the same as Costco’s. The cheapest butters at nearby Aldi, Walmart, and Whole Foods locations cost $4.39, $4.48, and $6.18 per pound, respectively.
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Higher prices on other basic kitchen staples like eggs and milk are similarly rattling the Costco faithful. “What’s crazy is my Costco’s milk and eggs are more expensive than Walmarts,” according to one Redditor. Let’s start with eggs, the supply of which has been severely impacted by an ongoing avian flu epidemic. One commenter groaned, “I haven’t seen eggs in the two stores near me since Thanksgiving.” The supply looked thin this week at Costco in Brooklyn, too, with customers limited to purchasing only two packages of five dozen eggs at a time. Each package cost $14.69, which works out to $2.94 per dozen. It’s actually difficult to find cheaper eggs than these in the NYC area at the moment. Whole Foods came closest, offering a dozen 365-brand large brown eggs for $3.39. Nearby Aldi and Walmart locations charge $4.35 and $4.56 per dozen for their most basic varieties. The average retail price for eggs nationwide is now $3.59 per dozen—an increase of 109% since last year—according to the most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey.
Costco’s Kirkland-brand milk has its fans, but even they aren’t immune to sticker shock. “Their super milk seems to last forever,” noted one Redditor, “but it costs much more than my local grocer.” A gallon jug cost $4.15 at Costco in Brooklyn this week. Among the stores in our survey, only Wegmans and Aldi offered a cheaper jug at $3.99 and $4.09 respectively, while the closest Walmart location charged $4.26. The average retail price now stands at $4.22 per gallon, up 15% since last year, per CPI.
Four-pound packs of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Sliced Bacon surged in price to $21.99 last year, according to one Redditor, before eventually dropping to a more reasonable $16.99. That’s the same price we found in Brooklyn this week. Even so, the bacon is still too pricey for some critics. “I can find it on sale much cheaper,” one noted. We, on the other hand, could not. At $4.25 per pound, the Kirkland slices are far and away more affordable than the national average—almost $3 less, in fact. Only the Walmart in Bayonne, N.J., could top our local Costco (and just by a penny) among the surveyed stores in our area. Aldi, meanwhile, charged $5.15 per pound.
We’re not talking about the famously low-priced rotisserie variety, of course. Costco’s forever-$4.99 cooked bird remains an unbeatable bargain. No, we’re talking about regular uncooked chicken. “Their prices for chicken thighs and drumsticks are now (and have been for a few months) higher than the grocery store,” lamented one commenter. We found bulk packs of Kirkland-brand boneless skinless thighs for $2.99 per pound at Costco in Brooklyn this week. A similar family pack cost a little less at the nearest Walmart: $2.86 per pound. Aldi and Wegmans charged more at $3.29 per pound. As for Whole Foods, eh, fuhgeddaboudit — $5.49 per pound.
Chris Shott