Earlier this spring, Costco made a large change to the packaging of a cult-favorite meals product, and now longtime followers are noticing — and complaining — concerning the swap.
Costco bought an estimated 137 million rotisserie chickens in 2023 whereas nonetheless sustaining a worth of $4.99, regardless of inflation and rising manufacturing prices. However the firm started altering the packaging in March, from its signature laborious shell container to a transparent bag, a transfer that is been slowly rolled out into extra tales and inflicting a viral frenzy amongst loyal consumers.
“Expensive Costco,” one fan penned on X. “Your new rotisserie rooster baggage and the rooster inside them is nowhere close to what they was.”
Associated: Costco’s New CFO Reveals Destiny of $1.50 Hotdog-Soda Combo Amid ‘Media Hypothesis’ and Hovering Earnings
“New recession warning simply dropped: Costco goes low cost on their rotisserie rooster container,” one other mentioned. “Brace yourselves.”
On Reddit, one consumer posted that the brand new baggage had leaked upon switch house, which opened the door to a slew of comparable tales.
Rooster juice spilled everywhere in the trunk of our automotive
byu/Bozerks inCostco
“I just lately grabbed two chickens within the bag for the primary time. Hated every thing about it,” one individual wrote on the thread. “The luggage have been slick with juice on the show (we needed to look ahead to them, so it was from the employees simply prepping them), so my arms have been then lined in grease with no paper towels anyplace.”
“Talked to an worker about this. They’re spilling in peoples’ carts and on the checkout counters all day lengthy,” one other alleged. “The staff all hate the brand new baggage and there may be hope that Costco will discover a option to tackle the problem.”
Costco reportedly swapped the packaging in an try to chop again on plastic waste — the brand new baggage will use 75% much less plastic than the laborious shell containers and save an estimated 17 million kilos for resin annually, per an indication seen by Packaging Dive.
Costco didn’t instantly repsond to Entrepreneur’s request for remark.
The warehouse chain most just lately reported its fiscal Q3 2024 earnings with internet gross sales reaching $57.39 billion, a 9.1% enhance in internet gross sales from the identical time final yr.
CEO Ron Vachris credited the quarterly success to its Wagyu beef choices, gold bars, and a $1,200 swingset that is been flying off cabinets.
Costco EVP and CFO Gary Millerchip additionally famous on the decision that because of the corporate’s constant success, there is no plan as of now to vary the price of its well-known $1.50 scorching canine combo deal or enhance membership charges.
Associated: Costco Might Cease Promoting Books 12 months-Spherical. This is Why.
“We really feel actually good about membership renewal charges,” Millerchip mentioned on the decision. “We take a look at what’s occurred within the market over the previous couple of years and once we have been seeing excessive inflation and the danger and concern round recession … we’re nonetheless evaluating these concerns to find out what the suitable timing is and once we attain that time the place we really feel it’s the proper time, in fact, we’ll be very open and direct and speaking that.”
Costco was up over 67% yr over yr as of Monday afternoon.
