Costco is one of the most popular retailers in the United States. The company offers a wide variety of products, ranging from food to household items and furniture. Costco is known for its bulk buys and cheap prices, but what are the five most popular products sold there?
1. Toilet paper
Yes, that's right! Costco's best-selling item is its Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue. It sells more than a billion rolls every year, bringing in over $400 million dollars in revenue. Costco's toilet paper is thicker and more absorbent than most other brands. It is also less expensive per sheet than many other brands.
2. Rotisserie chicken
Costco's chickens are roasted fresh throughout the day, and they are a great value at just $4.99 each. A similar rotisserie chicken at chain grocery store Ralph's is double the price at $9.99. How does Costco make money on its chicken? It doesn't, and in fact it loses $30 million to $40 million a year on the hundreds of millions of chickens it sells every year. Costco places its chickens in the very back of the warehouse, hoping you'll purchase more items as you pass more profitable products.
3. Bacon
Costco's bacon is also very popular with shoppers. The bacon is thick-cut and smoked, and it tastes great. It's also a great value, as it is less expensive than many other brands of bacon. Per Consumer Reports, Costco's Kirkland bacon was rated No. 1 in its taste test. The Kirkland Signature Hickory Smoked Bacon is crispy and has the right balance of fat and meat flavors. Even better, Costco sells it at $6.25 a pound, which is about $1.25 lower than its competitors.
The price of Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda hasn't changed since 1985! Costco sells 100 million hot dogs every year. This popular food court combo is a customer favorite and one of Costco's most recognizable products.
5. Gas
When driving up to a Costco, you can't help but notice the long line of cars waiting to fill up their cars. Costco's gas prices are extremely competitive. Savings is based on where you live, with some Costco locations selling gas $0.30 cheaper per gallon than its nearby competitors.
Costco sells a wide variety of items, ranging from food to household goods. The company has become known for its high-quality items, and it is a great place to shop if you are looking for quality at a good price. These five products are Costco's most popular items, drawing in millions of shoppers every year. Shopping there might even help your finances, too.
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FAQs
Mac and cheese, fish sticks, and Kirkland prosecco all made the list. And yes, products from Costco's in-house brand, Kirkland, feature prominently as most states' most popular items.
What are Costco main products? ›
Categories include groceries, candy, appliances, television and media, automotive supplies, tires, toys, hardware, sporting goods, jewelry, watches, cameras, books, housewares, apparel, health and beauty aids, furniture, office supplies and office equipment.
What is Costco biggest single selling product? ›
Toilet paper
Yes, that's right! Costco's best-selling item is its Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue. It sells more than a billion rolls every year, bringing in over $400 million dollars in revenue. Costco's toilet paper is thicker and more absorbent than most other brands.
What is Costco famous for? ›
As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world and is the world's largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine as of 2016. Costco is ranked #11 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.
What things are not cheaper at Costco? ›
Skip these 5 household items at Costco—they aren't worth the bargain, says expert at finding deals
- Breakfast cereal. Costco's breakfast cereal prices are similar to what you find at other wholesalers, although the selection is limited, says Ramhold. ...
- Lip balm. ...
- Over-the-counter pain medications. ...
- Fresh produce. ...
- Spices.
Low prices, high quality
Their own Kirkland Signature brand is also a result of Costco's philosophy to offer the highest quality products at the lowest price.
Is Costco owned by Walmart? ›
Costco and Sam's Club have very similar business models. Costco is a publicly traded company, while Sam's Club is a subsidiary of Walmart. Costco's membership fees are more expensive and the prices of basic products at Sam's Club are generally cheaper.
What is Costco's main brand? ›
Kirkland Signature
This label, familiar to Costco shoppers, is actually the company's house brand and a Costco subsidiary. It produces dozens of products under the Kirkland Signature brand name, including groceries and packaged food items.
How many products are in Costco? ›
Commitment to quality. Costco warehouses carry about 4,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) compared to the 30,000 found at most supermarkets. By carefully choosing products based on quality, price, brand, and features, the company can offer the best value to members.
Who is the biggest competitor to Costco? ›
Walmart. Walmart is one of Costco's leading competitors and alternatives. Founded in 1962, Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores. With over 10,500 stores worldwide, Walmart is a significant player in the retail industry.
Meet the typical Costco shopper, a 39-year-old Asian American woman earning more than $125,000 a year. Costco has more than 838 warehouses around the world and made more than $226 billion in sales in 2022.
Who is bigger Costco or Amazon? ›
Amazon's market cap might dwarf other retailers but its domestic retail sales are less than half of Walmart's at $233 billion, putting the company solidly in second place. Coming in third, Costco brought in $163 billion in revenue in 2022 from their 591 stores in the country.
What is the religion of the owner of Costco? ›
In describing his success, Sinegal attributes it to “just good business practices.” And while he was born into a Catholic family and supports Catholic causes, he does not necessarily tie his faith to the way he approaches business.
Does Costco sell gold? ›
Sales have accelerated since the warehouse club introduced the gold bars last Fall (2023). The gold bars are available at Costco's on-line site, and retail prices fluctuate with the price of gold.
Who is CEO of Costco? ›
Ron VachrisPresident, CEO and Director
Vachris has been a director of the Company since February 2022. He has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since February 2022. Mr. Vachris has been elected President and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2024.
What is Costco's biggest money maker? ›
Costco's profits in fiscal 2023 amounted to $6.29 billion. As it turns out, though, $4.58 billion of that profit -- 73% of the total -- had nothing to do with product sales. That money came from the membership fees that customers pay just to enter Costco's retail warehouse locations.
What of all sales at Costco do Kirkland products make up? ›
Costco's Kirkland Signature brands, well-known for their high quality and low cost, brought in close to $60 billion in 2021, about 25% of Costco's total revenue.
Who shops the most at Costco? ›
But compared to its peers, the wholesale club is more popular with higher-income millennial and Gen X households. In particular, Asian-American shoppers are even bigger fans of the brand, and are nearly twice as likely as the average US consumer to shop at Costco, according to Numerator's data.
