Why Your Favorite Costco Items Are Here One Day, Gone the Next

We love all things Costco here at Allrecipes—the monthly deals, the seasonal specials, even the trendy food court hacks. But if we had one complaint to put in the customer service box, it would be this: Why are our favorite products always disappearing?

If you’re a loyal Costco shopper, you’ve probably lived through this devastation at least once in your life. You find an exciting new product, maybe a tasty frozen treat or a new nut butter, and take home a Costco-sized supply.

Before you know it, you’re hooked on this new item—maybe even changing up your daily routine around it—only to find that on your next shopping trip, it’s nowhere to be found. Now, you have to learn to live without your new obsession or even worse, shop it at regular retail prices.

Does Costco discontinue favorite products just to sink the hearts of customers? Obviously not, but there is a reason why product rollover happens so regularly. So, when Costco pulls the old bait-and-switch on you, here’s why.

The Real Reason Why Popular Costco Products Are Discontinued

Believe it or not, Costco shelves are carefully curated, and there are several explanations as to why some of your favorite food products don’t stick around for long.

Seasonality 

It’s always fun to see Costco’s seasonal favorites arrive on shelves, but we also have to remember they’re only meant to be loved for a limited time. When the seasons change from fall to winter, it’s in with the peppermint, out with the pumpkin spice.

Quantities

One look around the warehouse proves Costco buys products by the pallet load, and even then, merchandise moves quickly. If suppliers (especially small businesses) are affected by ingredient shortages or labor issues, they might not be able to produce the large amount of output Costco needs to keep shelves stocked.

“Sometimes things are discontinued because they are no longer available in the quantities Costco requires,” a Costco employee noted.

Economic Factors 

If a “Made in Italy” product goes missing, it could be a consequence of inflation or changing exchange rates. When imported goods start to cost too much for Costco to turn a profit, they’ll no longer be sold by the grocery chain.

Demand

To no one’s surprise, the Costco floor is competitive. The bulk retailer is known for having a small number of SKUs, so products are constantly under evaluation for their market demand—after all, there’s only a finite amount of space on the shelves. Costco tries to offer new and on-trend items to members, and that means phasing out some of the older items to make space. 

Contracts 

Lastly, Costco is essentially a marketplace for its trustee suppliers, so the availability of products all comes down to dealings we don't see: negotiations and contracts. If a supplier’s contract runs its course and one or both parties decline to extend it, the products will disappear from customers’ carts (no matter how much we love them).

Sometimes, Costco and its suppliers don’t see eye-to-eye on pricing, business practices, or product quality, and that can show itself on the sales floor as well. According to some rumors, Coca-Cola products have been pulled from stores on several occasions after disagreements arose between top players at Coca-Cola and Costco.

The Bottom Line

All that is to say, the Costco catalog is a little more complicated than you might think. One Costco employee suggested frequent turnover is also about keeping inventory fresh and encouraging customers to buy more. “​​They want you to be motivated to buy fast,” they shared. 

So, if you don’t want to have a fast one pulled on you on your shopping trip, skip the food fads and stick to the staples we’ve loved for decades. Plus, keep an eye out for the hidden price tag codes that indicate if an item is on its way out.