Latest news with #Helles-StyleLager
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Costco beaten again in America's grocery wars... but it's taken a huge bite out of the competition
Costco is still missing out on the top spot in America's grocery wars, but the battle isn't over yet. The membership-based warehouse giant is gaining ground on grocery king Walmart. Walmart now hoovers up one in five dollars spent on groceries in America, according to new data from consumer analytics firm Numerator. If Sam's Club, Walmart's answer to Costco, is included, then that figure rises to a staggering one in four dollars. Walmart may be twice the size of its nearest rival Kroger, but it's Costco that rivals are losing their business to. Costco has been snapping up grocery spending since 2019, increasing its share of the market from 7.6 percent in 2023 to 8.5 percent now, Business Insider reported. Since Costco focuses on offering bulk quantities of a limited number of products, it it unlikely to ever take up the biggest share of the grocery market, but it is positioned to take more of it. Costco's focus on value will be a draw for consumers looking to cut back their spending amid an uncertain economy and increased costs from tariffs. Costco also sells a wide range of products which tend to have higher margins than groceries, helping to boost the company's bottom line. Costco's success has also been attributed the success of its Kirkland brand. 'Costco is leveraging the fact that their entire store and organization are a single brand,' industry expert Gary Sankary recently told The Street. 'Watching big boxes cycle through the process of introducing and retiring their owned brand labels every few years to convince customers that new is better, at the same time, is confusing and, in many cases, dilutes their brand.' 'The Kirkland brand quality is not by any means diluted just because it is private label,' retail consultant Robert Amster agreed. A recent success story is the $13.99 Kirkland 12-pack of Helles-Style Lager that has received rave reviews. Made by the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, the German-style lager was released exclusively in Costco in November. The beer is based on a recipe that won a gold medal at 2023's Great American Beer Festival. Costco's focus on value will be a draw for consumers looking to cut back their spending amid an uncertain economy and increased costs from tariffs It is now sold in every state except Texas, and a new version will be released annually. Other Costco products that have received expert approval include the award-winning Kirkland Signature Coastal Cheddar Cheese. The 15-month-aged cheese, made at a farm on the UK's Dorset coast, costs just $10 for a two-pound block. Costco members also enjoy a range of perks including access to free hearing screenings, a generous returns policy and much-loved food court deals. As well as the legendary $1.50 hot dog and soda offering Costco recently reintroduced its hot turkey and provolone sandwich.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Costco shoppers 'disgusted' with changes to fan-favorite Kirkland dinner staple
Costco's chicken breasts are under fire — and some longtime customers say they've had enough. Shoppers are taking to Reddit to complain about what they describe as 'woody' chicken breasts: pieces of meat that are unusually firm, rubbery, or chewy. While the issue isn't exclusive to Costco, the warehouse chain is catching heat for it online. 'After 20+ years of chicken breasts being a staple in my diet, Costco's woody breasts have ruined chicken for me. It's almost a phobia now,' a Redditor wrote. 'I'm in IL and stopped buying chicken breasts at Costco over a year ago because too many of them were nasty,' a shopper responded. Reddit users said that woody chicken is 'fairly common' in the US. 'It's from meat chickens being bred to grow too big too fast causing abnormal muscle and fiber development,' a Reddit user explained. 'It's still edible. though not very palatable or visually appealing.' Customers recently accused Costco of shrinkflation after discovering differences in its new cookie varieties Others blamed corporate farming practices, claiming chickens raised in stressful environments produce inferior meat. 'Egg farmer here.. the meat came from a caged and neglected chicken. Unable to move around, living in darkness, causes incredible stress to the chicken making the meat mushy. 'Chickens allowed to be outside and free to walk around, scratch and forage have superior meat quality. This is corporate farming.' The backlash is just the latest food-related drama for Costco. The retailer was recently criticized for switching its popular rotisserie chicken packaging from plastic containers to bags. Its Kirkland muffins also drew complaints after a recipe and size change. There was also shrinkflation accusations after a new cookie variety came with 21 instead of the normal 24 in a pack. And last year, some fans slammed its food court's Chicken Bakes for tasting different — and smaller. It has even emerged that Costco fans hate its toilet paper, which they described as: 'Absolute garbage'. Experts say all this been a factor in the end of Costco's reign as the top-rated grocery store for customer satisfaction Several Reddit users who left harsh comments explained why chicken becomes woody Despite the criticism of the chicken breasts, and other popular items, shoppers are raving about other top-sellers. One new item flying off shelves is the $13.99 Kirkland 12-pack of Helles-Style Lager, which went on sale in November. 'It's incredible, the cost-to-value is insane on this beer,' Costco shopper Taylor Vavra told the Wall Street Journal. Until now, Costco has struggled to make a beer that its shoppers liked. Shoppers have also been rushing to purchase a Carrot Mini Sheet Cake after Reddit users spotted it in stores last week. The cake, which costs between $5.49 and $5.99 per package, will only be available in stores for a limited time. 'WOW! I just tried this for the first time. The cream cheese frosting is UNREAL. This may be the best out of all the mini sheet cakes,' a shopper wrote on Reddit. 'I went last night and picked one up. Just cut a good slice out, ate it and found it to be absolutely delicious,' a commenter added. Besides its chicken breasts, customers have had problems with its Kirkland rotisserie chicken Despite the drama, Costco remains on a hot streak. The company raked in $254 billion in revenue last year and just posted $62.53 billion in second-quarter net sales — a 9.1 percent jump from the same time in 2023. It is planning to open a dozen new stores in the US this year. The first round of stores has already opened in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Texas. Its newest store will open in Stuart, Florida, on Friday, although because of locals opposing it, the store has been dubbed Costco's most controversial.
