When it comes to bulk shopping, Costco is the go-to destination for countless dedicated customers. But from intense product shortages to deals that aren't as good as they appear, the retailer doesn't always hit the mark. And even the most loyal Costco shoppers can recognize that. In fact, a number of customers recently banded together to voice their outrage over one significant price hike. Read on to find out what change has a drawn complaints from Costco shoppers.
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One Costco product has seen a significant price hike over the last year.
ShutterstockIf you go to Costco for your cleaning supplies, you might have noticed that one product has significantly increased in price. On Jan. 23, a Costco shopper posted a price comparison on Reddit of a 40-pound container of Clorox's Xtra Blue chlorinating tabs for pools and spas sold in a Northern California Costco store for both 2021 and 2022. According to the shopper's photos, the chlorinating cleaner tabs were $129.99 on Nov. 12, 2021. But on Jan. 22, 2022, another photo indicates that the same tabs are being listed at the same store for $189.99. This is a 46 percent increase on the chlorine product in just a little over two months.
Costco shoppers are voicing outrage over the rising price point.
iStockIn just one day, the Reddit post has already generated significant complaints from Costco shoppers. "Gonna be an expensive summer," the original Costco shopper posted, alongside the comparison photos. "Yikes! Just about everything else is up, I wonder what else is increasing THIS much," another customer replied to the viral post.
"It was like $70 [in] spring 2020," a Costco shopper responded, noting that the product has allegedly skyrocketed significantly in price over the last two years. Others customers have taken to replying to the post with alternative cleaning methods and other chlorine products that are being sold at cheaper price points.
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This product might be more expensive due to a chlorine shortage.
ShutterstockOne Costco shopper replied to the viral Reddit post, noting that a chlorine shortage might be behind the rising price point. In April 2021, CNBC reported that a serious chlorine shortage was set to hit the U.S. over the summer pool season due to a combination of factors, including an unprecedented surge in demand and a massive chemical plant fire at a BioLab facility—one of the country's major suppliers of chlorine tablets—near Lake Charles, Louisiana in 2020.
"The combination of those two events has resulted in an industry-wide shortage of chlorine tabs this year," Clorox confirmed on its website, explaining that supplies would be limited until the plant is the rebuilt and reopened, which is expected to occur in 2022. And there was also just another massive fire at a different chlorine manufacturing plant more recently. On Jan. 15, CNN reported that firefighters had to battle an 11-alarm fire at chlorine plant in Passaic, New Jersey.
Costco might also be raising membership prices soon.
ShutterstockChlorine may not be the only Costco price hike: In December, one financial analyst reported that it is likely the wholesale store will increase its membership fees for the first time in around five years soon, according to Yahoo.
"We believe we are now 8 to 9 months away from a likely membership fee increase, a historical catalyst for the shares. As is well known, Costco has increased its annual membership fee every five and a half years by $5 to $10. On this timetable, the next hike would come in August to September 2022," John Heinbockel, a Guggenheim analyst, wrote in a research note, as seen by the news outlet.
According to Heinbockel, this would raise Costco's Gold Star fee from $60 to $65, while its Executive membership would go from $120 to $130. The last time the company raised these fees was in June 2017, when it raised its Gold Star membership $5 and its Executive membership around $10, according to Yahoo.
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