When you join a warehouse club like Costco, part of the fun is roaming the aisles to see what new products have hit the shelves.
Costco does a great job of introducing new inventory on a regular basis so that customers are excited to keep coming back and exploring the store.
Related: Costco has a great offer for drivers
In fact, Costco’s management team likes to call the experience the Costco treasure hunt. And while Costco doesn’t stock nearly the same number of items as a typical supermarket or big-box store, it makes up for that by taking steps to ensure that every item it sells is high in quality and competitive in price.
But as fun as it is to experiment with new products, many Costco members have a core shopping list they stick to most times they’re at the store.
A lot of families who join Costco, for example, buy things like milk, eggs, produce, and cheese on a regular basis because they can benefit from the bulk savings.
And while a 30-pack of toilet paper may not be something you buy every single time you visit Costco, it’s an item you probably count on being able to pick up when you need it.
Image source: Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images
Costco inventory changes are not always positive ones
Although Costco intentionally brings in new products regularly to keep members engaged, there’s a serious downside to this strategy.
To clear space for new products, Costco has to stop selling existing products. Even though the company’s warehouse club stores are huge, there’s still only so much room on those shelves.
Related: Why Costco pulled the plug on Kirkland Mayo
But when Costco discontinues a favorite item of yours, it can truly be a huge blow. This is largely because Costco sells many items you won’t find elsewhere.
It’s one thing for Costco to stop selling a national brand — for example, it may not be happy with the price it can offer.
In that case, you may not be able to find the same great deal on that product, but you can still purchase the product elsewhere.
When Costco discontinues products from its Kirkland Signature brand, however, it can become a problem.
You can’t simply waltz into Walmart or Target and find Kirkland Signature products on the shelves. For this reason, from time to time, you may find that you have to permanently say goodbye to a Costco item that was a mainstay on your shopping list.
Costco quietly pulls popular seasoning blend from shelves
If you’re someone who does a lot of home cooking, you know how important it is to have a good supply of spices. And spices are an easy thing to buy in bulk because it takes a pretty long time for them to go stale once they’re opened.
Costco’s Kirkland Signature Sweet Mesquite Seasoning was a longtime favorite of many members. It was a fantastic blend to put onto burgers, steaks, or anything else you might want to throw on the grill.
Related: Costco just made a popular member perk better
Unfortunately, Costco recently made the decision to stop selling its Kirkland Signature Sweet Mesquite Seasoning. And not surprisingly, fans are up in arms.
In fact, a number of members took to Reddit to ask about finding a replacement seasoning blend — and they’re having a hard time doing that.
The Sweet Mesquite Seasoning is by no means the only Kirkland product to disappear suddenly this year and disappoint members. Earlier in the year, Costco made the decision to discontinue its Kirkland Signature soy milk, which not only saddened fans, but angered some.
Of course, the silver lining is that when Costco pulls a product from shelves, it’s not a given that it will be gone for good.
More Retail:
- Walmart CEO sounds alarm on a big problem for customers
- Target makes a change that might scare Walmart, Costco
- Top investor takes firm stance on troubled retail brand
- Walmart and Costco making major change affecting all customers
At one point, Sweet Heat, a popular Kirkland snack mix, seemed to be gone forever. But just recently, it was spotted in some stores again.
As such, there’s a chance that Costco will bring back its Kirkland Signature Sweet Mesquite Seasoning. But if you want to increase your odds, reach out to the company online and ask for it.
Costco is known as a company that listens to its members. If enough people write in asking to bring their favorite seasoning blend back, it could very well work.
Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco.
Related: Costco members need to watch out for this expensive mistake
