With Costco’s recent switch from serving its iconic $4.99 rotisserie chicken in bags instead of rigid plastic containers, some customers have claimed that the chain changed something else, too.
Some claim that Costco subtly made their chickens smaller.
Those kinds of fears are not unfounded. Shrinkflation–the term for when retailers fight rising prices by sneakily making items smaller–is such a big problem that senators are publishing reports about it.
So are the rumors true? Did Costco, that bastion of low prices and $1.50 hotdogs, succomb to the allure of shrinkflation and try to pull a fast one on customers?
The answer is, thankfully, no. Costco’s chickens are the same size, whether they’re served in bags or plastic containers.
How do we know? We at the Bay Area Telegraph photographed a Costco chicken before the change (because, of course we did!) and then after.
Here’s the chicken in its rigid plastic, ca October 2023.
And again today (April 2024) in its new bag container (which New Zealanders apparently call a “Bachelor’s Handbag”).
You’ll note that in both cases, the weight is the same–3 pounds (you can see the original weight on the first package in tiny letters just below the barcode). Also worth noting is that that’s the “Net Weight”, so the weight of the package isn’t counted.
So there you have it–although the packaging looks different, Costco’s chickens haven’t changed their size.
Why the rumors, then? While the previous packaging almost entirely enclosed the chicken, the new plastic bags are much taller and physically larger.
If you serve the same size chicken in a bigger package, it’s going to look smaller by comparison. That’s probably why the Internet is abuzz with rumors about a change.
But you have the truth, because you read the Bay Area Telegraph! This is journalism at its best, folks. You’re welcome.
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