Costco’s buyers must be busy — although I’m a frequent shopper, the warehouse store is always full of items I’ve never seen there before.
From Lego Advent calendars abd colorful cast-iron cookware to giant jars packed full of biscotti, I’m always tempted to toss a new product or 10 into my cart. But just because you’ve seen a product at Costco once, or even regularly, doesn’t mean it’ll always be there.
Items come and go. If you see something you like, snatch it up. You can put it on your mental grocery list for next time, but it may or may not be around when you return. Some products disappear for seasonal or popularity reasons, but others make more mysterious departures.
Here’s a look at some of the items that Costco no longer sells.
Half-sheet cakes
Costco members turn to the bakery counter to celebrate birthdays, babies, graduations and parties of all kinds. But a popular cake size, the half-sheet cake, is no longer offered at U.S. locations.
Costco confirmed the news to the “Today” show in July, noting that the store is focusing on 10-inch round cakes instead. Such a shame — the half-sheet cakes used to be one of my favorite Costco purchases.
Polish hot dogs
Costco shoppers can really work up an appetite, and plenty of shoppers stop at the store’s food court after (or before) loading up a cart. The store’s signature hot dog-and-soda combo still sells for $ 1.50, and it’s hard to beat that deal.
But in 2018, the store got rid of its Polish dog, choosing to offer only the all-beef hot dogs instead, saying most members preferred the all-beef dog. Doggone it!
Kirkland Signature Light Beer
Kirkland is Costco’s own house brand. But don’t expect to find Kirkland Signature Light Beer on the store’s shelves anymore. Back in 2018, a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that the light brew had been discontinued.
Beer connoisseurs, you probably didn’t miss anything — the reviews on BeerAdvocate aren’t exactly raves, though one man loved it enough to make hilarious (if a bit profane) fake commercials about the product.
Roundup
The popular if controversial weedkiller Roundup can be bought at many hardware and garden stores. But Costco is no longer among them, The New York Times reported in 2019. That’s due to concerns about glyphosate, a controversial ingredient that’s been cited in numerous lawsuits by people who claim it’s linked to cancer.
Studded tires
Yes, the same chain that sells rotisserie chickens also sells tires for your car. But not the studded variety. While studded tires can offer more traction on icy surfaces, those same studs can damage roads.
In 2007, Costco corporate tire buyer Pat McClintock told the Spokesman-Review newspaper that the chain stopped selling studded tires to be “environmentally responsible.”
Kirkland Signature Turkey Burgers
Turkey burgers can be a delicious and healthy option for those trying to eat less red meat. Costco’s Kirkland Signature Turkey Burgers had only 200 calories per patty and plenty of devoted fans, but the retailer no longer offers them.
A Costco representative posted on Facebook in 2018 that the patties are “not expected to return in the near future.” Judging by the disappointed reader comments, people would still like to gobble them down.
Cuddle With Me dolls
Costco’s toy selection can be surprisingly robust, especially at holiday time. But you’ll never see the Cuddle With Me doll sets there again.
The dolls were available in Caucasian, African American and Hispanic versions. They came with either a stuffed monkey or a stuffed panda. In 2009, a complaint about the African American doll being paired with a monkey led to Costco pulling the toys.
‘Cooking the Costco Way’ cookbooks
Costco doesn’t just sell groceries, it advises its shoppers on how best to prepare them. For 12 years, the chain published and distributed cookbooks to its members over Thanksgiving weekend.
But now, instead of a print cookbook, the store offers recipes online in the Farm to Table section of its Costco Connection magazine. Old cookbooks are archived online — just search for “Cooking the Costco Way” on the Costco Connection site.
Eggs that aren’t cage-free
Even actor Brad Pitt and comedian Bill Maher became involved in the controversy over cage-free eggs at Costco. Maher wrote an opinion column in The New York Times in 2015 imploring the company to stop selling eggs from hens that have been confined in cages, and Pitt sent the company a letter making the same request. While Costco hasn’t yet moved to 100% cage-free eggs in all its international locations, a statement on its website says it is “committed to procuring cage‐free eggs” and that its Kirkland Signature Liquid Eggs are 100% cage-free.
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