A trip to Costco, as all members know, can be quite a trip. Besides tasting all the delicious food samples, there is the actual shopping. Buying in bulk is often inherently a money saver, but paying close attention to the details of the price tag can help you make even better decisions for your budget.
For example, you probably already know how to check the price per unit or ounce to find the best deal on something. But did you know that Costco has another simple but potentially important way for us to make smarter and more timely purchasing decisions?
Decoding Costco Price Tags
In case you didn’t know, Costco — like many other retailers — has an important price tag system. Anything that ends in .99 is full price, so you can be sure it’s the best value option available. Items ending in .49 or .79 are on sale, but only for a limited time. This means that a promotional price is set by the item’s manufacturer, and eventually, it will go back to the .99 price.
Items ending in .97 are on clearance or manager discount, which is usually the lowest price you’ll find on an item at Costco (and if you’re trying to save money, get it now is a good indicator for). You may also want to fast forward to an item with a price ending in .00 or .88. This usually indicates a low price and limited availability because the store wants to clear an item from the store. These numbers can also mean that an item was returned, so it’s a good idea to inspect it for possible damage before taking it to the register.
What does the asterisk on a Costco price tag mean?
There’s another important symbol on Costco’s price tags: the star. If you see it on the tag, the item is about to leave Costco soon, possibly for good—either because Costco doesn’t want to continue selling it or because the manufacturer won’t make it anymore. So if you find your favorite snack and are concerned about future availability, it’s not a bad idea to stock up.
That said, a star is not always a bad omen. In a Reddit thread about Costco’s pricing, a former store employee added that “the asterisk means the item number is pending deletion in the system. It could just mean that the item packaging/item numbers is changing and will come back, or it’s gone for a season and may come back. It’s not always a ‘gone ever’ type deal.
If you want to know if something is leaving the store for good, you can ask an employee or rely on context clues. Redditors say that seasonal items (for example, holiday-themed food or decorations) often have an asterisk on the price tag, especially at the end of the season. In that case, there’s a good chance it could be back on Costco shelves again next season.
Either way, when you’re done shopping, pat yourself on the back for your sweet, strategic shopping victory—ideally, over a delicious breakfast at the Costco food court.