If there’s one thing Costco is known for, aside from its amazingly low prices, it’s the company’s commitment to customer service.
Costco knows that consumers don’t have to pay a membership fee at competitors like Walmart and Target. And among those willing to pay for warehouse club access, they have options that include rival Sam’s Club, whose membership fees are considerably lower than Costco’s at both the basic and upgraded tiers.
💵💰Don’t miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet’s free daily newsletter💰💵
For this reason, Costco goes out of its way to make sure the customer experience is outstanding.
Related: Costco quietly drops popular product, saddens fans
If you’ve ever shopped at Costco, you probably noticed that the store only stocks a limited number of items.
It might seem like Costco’s inventory is vast because the stores are massive. But Costco tends to limit itself to roughly 4,000 SKUs (stock keeping units). Walmart, by contrast, typically carries more like 120,000 to 140,000 SKUs.
But the reason Costco limits its inventory is simple. The company wants to make sure each item it puts on the shelves is high in quality. And if a given item doesn’t meet Costco’s standards, it will be rejected or pulled.
Costco also has one of the most generous return policies in all of retail. For the most part, members can get a refund for any purchase at any time for any reason. It’s just another way the company shows its appreciation for the people who pay to get in the door.
Costco brings back a food court favorite, but members aren’t happy.
Image source: Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Costco’s food court is a huge draw for members
Shopping at a store like Costco could easily make you hungry. Not only are you looking at supersized food products, but you’re also clocking a lot of steps getting from one end of the warehouse to the other.
Plus, pushing an oversized shopping cart can be a full-fledged cardio workout if it’s filled with heavy items. So it’s nice to have a place where you can take a load off and grab a cheap meal during or after your shopping.
Related: Costco puts famous New York City brand on shelves
Costco’s food court is filled with tasty items that run the gamut from savory to sweet. And while Costco’s food court is generally profitable, the company takes a loss on certain items.
The $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, for example, is considered a loss leader for Costco. But because the company knows how much members appreciate the inflation-proof price, it’s kept it in place for decades as part of its commitment to solid customer service.
Costco brings back a food court favorite with an unwanted twist
If you’ve been visiting the Costco food court for years, you’re probably aware that over time, a number of popular items have come and gone.
The famous churro, for example, left the food court in early 2024. In its place, Costco introduced a larger version of its bakery chocolate chip cookie.
Related: Costco members angry over very personal product change
Another food court favorite Costco did away with was the barbecue brisket sandwich. Costco never gave a specific reason for discontinuing it. But fans speculated that the decision stemmed from a combination of supply chain issues and a push toward healthier items.
One item fans were extremely sad to see leave Costco’s food court was the combo pizza. It featured sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives, and pepperoni, and it was a hearty meal that offered great value at just $1.99 per slice.
Now, Costco is bringing the combo pizza back to its food courts — sort of. Instead of bringing back the beloved recipe in pizza format, it’s selling it in the form of a calzone.
The new combo calzone has the same delicious fillings the combo pizza was known for.
The problem? Fans are not thrilled with its $6.99 price point.
Costco members took to Reddit to share their displeasure with the new food court addition.
“Seems like Costco will do anything but bring back the combo pizza,” one user wrote.
Another said, “Combo calzone without combo pizza is offensive.”
More Retail:
Walmart CEO sounds alarm on a big problem for customersTarget makes a change that might scare Walmart, CostcoTop investor takes firm stance on troubled retail brandWalmart and Costco making major change affecting all customers
Because Costco is so in tune with its members, there’s a good chance this feedback will make its way to the folks over at Corporate who make food court decisions. So perhaps if fans apply enough pressure, Costco will cave and bring back the original combo pizza members know and love.
Until then, you may have to settle for a more expensive variation.
Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco.
