Prepare to Pay More at Costco for This Reason

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Costco’s prices may be low, but they are not immune to increases.

Important points

• Costco is known for its affordable prices on household staples.
• While its food court is also price competitive, the cost of some items is rising.

Nowadays, many retailers are raising prices to compensate for the higher cost of acquiring goods. And Costco is one of them.

Take a stroll through your local warehouse club shop, and you will probably notice that the cost of some of its staple food items has gone up. Unfortunately, this is just a by-product of the rampant inflation we are dealing with today.

But Costco has also long been proud to be a source of value for customers. In fact, there’s a reason Costco has not increased the price of its famous $ 1.50 hot dog and soft drink combo combination – it wants customers to be able to enjoy that bargain all the time.

But while Costco may not change the price tag of its hot dog deal, it does raise prices on other food court items. And if you’re a fan of Costco’s chicken pastries, you’ll have to be prepared to pay more.

A modest but significant increase

Costco’s chicken pastry, with a price tag of $ 2.99, has long been an affordable lunch option. However, that is changing. Recently, a Reddit user posted a photo of the chicken cake at their local Costco that sells for $ 3.99. This is a fairly significant increase, in percentage terms.

Meanwhile, the $ 0.59 soft drink customers who used to buy to wash away that chicken cake rose to $ 0.69.

What other changes are coming?

Costco seems to be resting its famous $ 1.50 hot dog meal and will not increase its price. But as for the warehouse club’s other products and food court items – well, let’s just say customers should not be shocked to see those prices go up.

In fact, the cost of products at Costco usually varies based on factors such as item availability and what season it is. So buyers may want to keep a close eye on these prices. Those who are used to paying $ 5.99 for a carton of tomatoes, for example, may see the cost temporarily rise to $ 6.99 and then fall back (or not).

Meanwhile, some Costco fans may be worried about the potential for membership fee increases. And to be honest, that option is on the table.

Currently, a basic membership costs $ 60. If Costco were to increase it, it would likely result in a $ 65 fee. Historically, Costco has increased the cost of membership by $ 5 every few years, so it would not be surprising to see this happen in the near term, especially in light of turbulent inflation.

For those who tend to shop at Costco regularly, that $ 5 increase, when it comes down to it, should not stand in the way of membership renewal. But at a time when many consumers are picking up higher credit cards than usual, any price increase can sting – especially when it comes to a store that tends to be synonymous with affordability.