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Costco shoppers may soon have to shell out more cash as food items begin to get more expensive at the retailer. The retailer's wholesale model of selling items such as eggs, meat, fruits, and other food items in bulk has helped keep costs relatively low for a while, but things have finally started to change. With everyday prices rising in the market, occasional hikes in food items have now become a common spectacle at the Washington-based retail store chain.
Before you get into guessing, it's not just the eggs that are seeing a price hike. From food court items to fresh produce (including fruits and vegetables), milk to butter, chicken to fish, and much more, the occasional hike in prices for everyday food items at Costco is putting a lot of strain on shoppers across the country. On top of rising food item prices, even the retail chain's membership costs are expected to experience a hike in the coming months.
While worldwide inflation is one of the major factors behind the increase in prices, disruptions in supply chains and a significant rise in demand are some of the other factors that have been greatly affecting the prices of several everyday food items across the United States.
Whether it's Costco, Walmart, Target, or other retailers, the prices of food items have been hitting shoppers hard at all retailers across the country.
Sodas, milk, butter, and other food items that are getting costlier at Costco
If you are one of several shoppers who used to rely on Costco to get good deals on your bulk purchases, then you might not be too happy to hear it, but the retailer may no longer be as pocket-friendly as it used to be. As food item prices experience inflationary hikes across the country, the aftermaths have finally started showing up at the Washington-based retailer. Almost all of the everyday food items have been experiencing occasional hikes over the last few months.
For those who would like to know, here's a list of the food items that are getting costlier at Costco:
Eggs
One of the cheapest foods in your cart has now become one of the most expensive items available at any retailer. Egg prices have been experiencing a hike of as much as 138% for the last few months.
Reports claim that the ever-high egg prices are the result of the massive bird flu outbreak that killed over 49 million egg-laying hens in the United States, thus affecting egg production across the country. As a result, most retailers across the country frequently run out of eggs, and those that do have them often charge exorbitant prices for them.
Meats - Chicken, Fish, Bacon, and Beef
Meat prices across the country are seeing an ever-rising hike. While chicken prices in the country seem to be affected by the avian flu, prices of other meats like fish, bacon, and beef have soared due to several international factors, including the Russia-Ukraine war and more.
The war has greatly affected several supply chains across the world, thus resulting in massive hikes in food item prices across the United States. Customers may still be able to enjoy an affordable chicken at Costco if they go for the rotisserie chicken, which has been on sale for a constant price of $4.99 since 2009.
Beverages
Beverages like coffee, soda, and milk have seen a significant hike in prices at Costco over the last few months. Rising prices have been a result of a strain on the supply-and-demand chain on top of the inflationary hikes.
Reports published by CNN in 2022 suggested a hike of up to 50% in the price of milk. Coffee, on the other hand, is seeing significant price hikes due to rising production costs and other environmental factors. Brands like Pepsi and Coke have also gotten costlier in the last few months.
Bakery Items and Butter
Butter prices have seen a massive hike in the last few months due to several factors including - labor shortages, the rising cost of dairy feed, and the depleting supply of milk. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) reported a hike of nearly 31.4% on butter prices between December 2021 and December 2022.
Costco bakery items like muffins, croissants, cookies, cinnamon loaves, and more have experienced significant price hikes thanks to the rising prices of ingredients like milk, butter, eggs, and more. Some of the bakery items have almost doubled in price.
Others
Other items that have seen a significant hike in prices at Costco include fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, and more), frozen berries, bagged salad, and salad kits, among others. The reasons behind the hikes range from disrupted supply chains, to increased prices of fertilizers, and more.
As of now, there is no relief from the massive increase in food prices across the country. Things may seem likely to change in the coming months as inflationary prices start to get under control.
