Costco hikes prices on two popular food court items. Here’s what to know
Costco shoppers can expect changes at the club’s beloved food court after price hikes on two fan favorites.
A 20-ounce soft drink now costs 69 cents, up 10 cents from June, and the chicken bake is $1 more, Business Insider first reported in early July. The new pricing is reportedly part of a national update set to roll out at Costco’s 550-plus stores this week.
McClatchy News confirmed the price changes with employees at multiple Costco locations across Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas and California. So far, the increases have apparently gone largely unnoticed.
“People just kind of give us their money and go with the flow,” a food court worker at a Costco in North Fort Worth said.
But Georgina Gomez, a food service worker who has been employed at the wholesale club for 25 years, told the Los Angeles Times she was shocked by the price hike.
“I was surprised, ’cause they never do increases on the items,” Gomez told the newspaper. “Once they’re out, that’s usually the price they keep.”
McClatchy News reached out to Costco for comment on Friday, July 8, and was awaiting a response.
The changes were seemingly inevitable, as rising inflation continues to push up prices on everyday items from gas to groceries.
In May, U.S. consumers saw prices jump 8.6% over the last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food costs alone were up 10% during that same time frame with the price of meat, fish and poultry seeing the biggest increase.
Despite rising costs, Costco said it won’t touch the price of its popular hot dog-soda combo. It’s one of the food court’s best selling items, and executives had to quell concerns after rumors of an impending price hike began to swirl on social media, Nexstar Media Group reported.
“Let me just say, the price — when we introduced the hot-dog-soda-combo in the mid-’80s — was $1.50,” Costco Senior Vice President Bob Nelson said during a 2022 earnings call, according to the news outlet.
“The price today is $1.50, and we have no plans to increase the price at this time,” he said.
This story was originally published July 8, 2022 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Costco hikes prices on two popular food court items. Here’s what to know."