A new twist in the soda wars, mad about muffins, and redefining what exactly healthy means. Costco fans may think the chain can do no wrong, but they should still keep in mind these big changes the store is planning to make in 2025.
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00:00A new twist in the soda wars, mad about muffins, and redefining what exactly healthy means.
00:08Costco fans may think the chain can do no wrong, but they should still keep in mind
00:12these big changes the store is planning to make in 2025.
00:17E-readers like Amazon's Kindle and other devices are getting more popular among readers.
00:21But if you look forward to picking up some new reading material as part of your regular
00:26trips to Costco, we have some bad news for you.
00:29Costco has announced that it's largely going to be getting rid of book sales.
00:34But let's check the fine print.
00:36As of this video, Costco representatives say that books will still be stocked during the
00:41end-of-year holiday shopping rush.
00:43And several months after the initial announcement, Costco backtracked just a bit to say that
00:48books would be sticking around at about 100 locations.
00:52The decision to get rid of books in the overwhelming majority of Costco locations seems to be a
00:56financial one.
00:58Company officials say books take up a lot of valuable space that could be used for more
01:02profitable merchandise.
01:04The books section also requires more effort from employees to maintain.
01:08The company says it's just too labor-intensive to stock books at the stores.
01:13It's also worth noting that this isn't entirely new.
01:16As of 2022, Alaska and Hawaii Costco's no longer carry books.
01:22Some industry experts think the change represents the loss of one more avenue to get physical
01:27books into people's hands.
01:29Others suggest the move might drive more traffic to independent bookstores, which would be
01:33a great thing.
01:34However, as publishing industry analyst Thad McIlroy told USA Today,
01:39"...it really meant a lot to the industry that Costco was a strong outlet.
01:44It's a really tough time to be a publisher, regardless of your size.
01:47So having something like this kick you in the face when you're down is not a good thing."
01:53In 2013, Costco customers found that Coca-Cola was out and Pepsi was suddenly in.
01:59Now, though, it seems as though Costco and Coca-Cola have come to a new agreement that
02:04will see another switch coming.
02:06In a nutshell, the 2013 swap was made out of necessity.
02:10The chain is famous for its rotisserie chicken as well as its beloved $1.50 hot dog combo,
02:16which hasn't changed in price since 1985.
02:19"...I mean, $1.50 for a quarter-pound hot dog."
02:24"...and a drink.
02:26Très bien, right?"
02:27In order to keep the price the same, the more affordable Pepsi was swapped in.
02:32It's unclear just when food courts are going to see the change back to Coke, but with a
02:37new deal in place, it's possible there's going to be another consequence.
02:41It's no secret that many customers have taken to social media to complain about the soda
02:46at Costco, which are notorious for dispensing soda that's too watery, too syrupy, or not
02:52carbonated enough.
02:54The hope is that maybe quality will improve with the switch, which might end up being
02:58a total win, even for those who prefer Pepsi.
03:02In late 2024, Costco customers started noticing that some of the regular tables in the food
03:08court were being replaced with high tables that could only be used while standing.
03:12It seems as though this change is slowly being rolled out to more and more clubs, and it's
03:17likely to continue into 2025.
03:19The idea seems to be a space-saving one, as we all know that Costco's food courts can
03:24get pretty crowded.
03:26But it's possible that this is one idea that seems better on paper than in reality.
03:31As more customers find themselves faced with standing-only tables, more problems are becoming
03:36apparent.
03:37Some Redditors note that standing tables have simply become another place for garbage to
03:41be piled, while others complain that the taller tables are useless if you have younger kids.
03:47Others have raised concerns about accessibility, and although it seems like not all tables
03:51are going to be replaced in all food courts, the switch has been enough to ruffle some
03:56feathers.
03:57It's worth mentioning, though, that many customers like the change, saying that standing tables
04:02take up less space at crowded food courts, making it easier to move around, and are useful
04:07when grabbing a quick hot dog before continuing on your way.
04:11Looking ahead to 2025, it seems that there's going to be a big change made to Costco's
04:17muffins.
04:18The change was explained in a Reddit post showing a sign posted at a Costco location,
04:23which indicated that the store now would be offering muffins in eight packs, in lieu of
04:27the old practice of selling two six-packs that allowed you to mix and match flavors.
04:32The post also noted that new muffins would be a smaller size.
04:36Workers quickly did the math to find the new muffins would be 58 percent more expensive.
04:42When comparing the price per ounce, it goes without saying that especially in the wider
04:46landscape of rising food costs, this wasn't well-received.
04:51Food labels are complicated, and in the last days of 2024, the Food and Drug Administration
04:57made updates to its labeling requirements that mean there's the potential for sweeping
05:02changes that include Costco's Kirkland signature products.
05:06In a nutshell, certain standards must now be met in order for a product to be labeled
05:10as healthy.
05:12Some things like sodium, sugar, and saturated fats have new limits imposed on foods that
05:17can be promoted as healthy, while there are other guidelines on how foods bearing the
05:22healthy label need to be made from certain ingredients, like fruits, vegetables, or dairy.
05:27Changes are likely coming over the course of the next three years, and it's speculated
05:31that Costco and other retailers will be overhauling some items to comply with new guidelines.
05:37While that might sound like it's an unconditional win that's going to make it easier for customers
05:41to make food choices based on ingredients and nutrition, there could be an unintended
05:46side effect.
05:47Although it's too early to tell just what these changes are going to mean, some experts
05:52have raised concerns that the new label guidelines haven't addressed the traditionally higher
05:56cost of healthy food.
05:58This opens up the possibility that the changing of established products to meet federal guidelines
06:03will lead to increased prices.
06:06Perhaps surprisingly, Costco does not have a presence in all 50 U.S. states.
06:11As of this video, there are still three states that are lacking in the Costco department
06:15— Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
06:19A 2024 bid to bring a Costco to Rhode Island ended up falling through, but how are things
06:24shaping up as we begin 2025?
06:27We know a few things about Costco's plans for expansion in 2025, but we should start
06:32by clarifying that the chain's fiscal year started September 1, 2024, and ends on August
06:3831, 2025.
06:41So it is already four months into its operational plan for 2025.
06:45For its fiscal year, Costco is expected to open 19 new U.S. locations and 10 international
06:52stores.
06:53Seven new locations have already opened during the first quarter.
06:56The new stores that are next in line for 2025 include two in California, with locations
07:02in Brentwood and Highland bringing the total number of California stores to 142.
07:08Texas is also getting two more stores in Weatherford and Prosper for a total of 45 stores.
07:14The two others that have been confirmed are Genesee County, Michigan, and Sharon, Massachusetts,
07:20which will bring the total number of stores in Michigan up to 18, and 8 for Massachusetts.
07:25Although there has not been any confirmed movement on bringing Costco to the final three
07:29states, don't give up hope.
07:32Maine only opened its first store in 2023.
07:35The wait is finally over.
07:37Come on in.
07:38Today, Maine welcomed its first ever Costco.
07:43Costco raised some eyebrows in 2024 when it raised its membership fees for the first time
07:48in years.
07:50It seems as though the hike was only the first part of the wholesale club's plans to change
07:54how membership works.
07:56In late 2024, it was announced that membership card scanners were going to be installed at
08:01store entrances.
08:02The idea was that only members and guests who came with them would be allowed inside,
08:07and officials stressed that a photo ID would also be required for entry.
08:11In other words, if you're one of the many people who share a membership among a group
08:15of friends, neighbors, or coworkers, you're going to be out of luck.
08:20The practice of membership sharing has been on the rise in recent years, and official
08:24statements from Costco say that the change is being done to ensure only members receive
08:28the club's benefits.
08:30They also suggest that it might help get people through the checkout lines faster, since everyone's
08:34already shown their membership cards by that point.
08:37Scanners started being installed in 2024, with promises that more would be coming over
08:42the following months.
08:43Just when they're going to be showing up at various warehouses isn't clear, but you've
08:48been warned.
08:49And yes, Costco has confirmed that memberships will be needed to purchase items at its food
08:55courts, too.
08:57Costco can be pretty secretive about new products, leaving it to faithful customers to find something
09:01new and then alert fellow shoppers.
09:04In the last month of 2024, that's exactly what happened when customers found that bottles
09:09of a Kirkland Signature-branded cognac had hit the shelves.
09:13Some shoppers almost immediately started louding the product as being better than Hennessy.
09:17So we're keeping our fingers crossed for more pleasant surprises in the coming year.
09:22At the start of the new year, Costco shoppers have already started spotting new products
09:26on the shelves.
09:27That includes Nutria's Body Mist, an iHome Smart Mirror, Hobie Polarized Sunglasses,
09:33Bridgestone Premium Golf Bags, and Stahikam Boots.
09:38It's a safe bet that many more products are going to be announced over the course of the
09:41year, or they might just show up at a warehouse near you.
09:46Let's look at past years.
09:47Costco added a number of bakery items in 2023, and the chain began selling Whataburger ketchup
09:53in 2024.
09:54There's no telling what the new year will bring.