Costco has come up with a sneaky way to charge more for its cookies
Costco has been accused of shrinkflation after customers noticed a new cookie variety has fewer cookies in the pack than usual.
An Instagram video posted by fan account @costcobuys revealed that the new brown butter sugar cookies sold by the retailer are priced at $7.99 for 21 cookies.
But regular Costco shoppers have been quick to point out that in the past, cookies have been sold in packs of 24.
'Where did the other three go?' one user wrote on a Reddit thread dedicated to the sweet treat.
'21 count? Man first they came for the muffins and then they came for the two dozen,' another person wrote.
The membership-only retailer is the latest to be accused of shrinkflation - which is when products shrink in size or quantity while the price remains the same or even increases.
As Americans begin to feel the pinch of rising prices, many are beginning to question whether they are being shortchanged.
A 2024 report by LendingTree revealed that of almost 100 everyday products bought by Americans, a third had shrunk in the last five years.
'People are already frustrated that things cost more,' said Matt Schulz, LendingTree chief credit analyst.
'Shrinkflation just adds insult to injury. It all adds up to a lot of Americans feeling squeezed every month to afford the basic things they can't do without.'
Schultz added that businesses prefer shrinking products over raising prices, as they know that customers do not like it when this happens.
'Shrinkflation is a sneaky little way around that,' he said.
'Rather than bumping up the price of something, businesses make the product smaller while keeping the price the same.
'If done smartly, customers may not even notice. However, the problem is that when they do, it leaves the customer with a bad taste in their mouth because it feels so deceptive.'
The new cookies are not the first time Costco has been accused of shortchanging customers.
In December 2024, a furious Costco shopper claimed their holiday staple - the Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark - only had 'half the thickness' that previous iterations of the sweet treat had.
Regular Costco shoppers have been quick to point out that in the past, cookies have been sold in packs of 24
A frustrated TikTok user known as @infinitely.balanced claimed Costco's Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark was not thick this year
The shopper known as @infinitely.balanced on TikTok shared her frustration about the Peppermint Bark in a video on December 16.
'This is not my first rodeo buying Peppermint Bark... This is not like their other Peppermint Bark but this s*** was still $15,' the TikToker claimed.
'I love yall and i like these are thin but these shouldn't be the same price as the other peppermint bark yall have had,' she wrote in the video description.
The TikTok user also made clear in her video that shrinkflation has been 'p***ing her off.'
But Costco fans are happy with the retailer for another recent change.
The warehouse retailer is known for delivering value to its members with its much-loved own-brand products.
Now the $13.99 Kirkland 12-pack of Helles-Style Lager is the latest item fans are raving about.
Made by the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon the German-style lager was released exclusively in Costco in November.
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