The Biggest Kirkland Signature Flops In Costco History

Costco is all about quality and value, and the Kirkland Signature brand is a prime example of this. After all, it's hard to beat those jumbo packs of toilet paper and $1.50 hot dog combos. However, not everything the Kirkland Signature name touches turns to gold. And as we dug through Costco's history, we uncovered some serious food flops.

So what exactly is considered a flop? Think products that received numerous customer complaints or stirred up quite a controversy. Of course, businesses have a bottom line and flops also include items that didn't generate enough sales or faced intense sourcing issues, burning a hole in Costco's pocket. These food products were either banished from store shelves or sent back to the drawing board for a major overhaul.

Despite the company's overall success, Costco has seen its fair share of failures — and as we dive deeper into Costco's food flops, we'll explore the details behind each. What caused the product's ultimate demise? And how did the company pick up the pieces? Some of these items will have you wondering why they were sold in the first place. Meanwhile, certain products seemed to have a lot of promise but never took off, while others were in high demand but faced logistical nightmares. So grab your favorite Kirkland snack (assuming it's not one from our list) and read about Costco's biggest bloopers.

Light beer is a refreshing choice on a hot day — unless of course — it's Kirkland's Signature Light Beer. This product came in a 48-pack, with each can costing approximately 50 cents. With those prices, it's a shock that the product didn't take flight. A Beer Advocate reviewer explains, "You have no idea how badly I wanted this beer to be good." Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Other reviewers described it as having a "​subpar, disgustingly flat taste" and another says it, "Tastes like battery acid."

Kirkland Signature Light Beer scored 62 (aka "poor") on Beer Advocate and 2.45/5 on RateBeer. With such negative opinions brewing, it's no wonder the product was discontinued. We're not sure exactly when Costco removed this item from store shelves, but it looks like Kirkland Signature Light Beer was no longer available by the end of 2018.

Although most shoppers weren't disappointed, one die-hard fan is probably missing this beer right now. This Reddit user went as far as making homemade commercials for the product. He admitted that the company "expressed no interest." Perhaps if they had, a customer base would have followed (for the plot if nothing else).

If you're familiar with Costco's food court pizza, you understand the obsession. With oodles of cheese and perfectly uniform slices, people go crazy for the stuff. We've even heard of people skipping the shopping trip and heading straight for the food court. However, Kirkland Signature Take-and-Bake Pizza didn't stack up against the food court version, and if consumers were expecting a similar product, they were sorely disappointed.

One consumer turned to Reddit to describe the difference between Costco's food court and take-and-bake pizzas, "They look the same and almost priced the same, until you take it home and bake it and find out it's nothing like the authentic. It's just trash." 

With a slew of negative reviews, we'd assume the pizza was discontinued because it was plain awful. But this Reddit user asked a Costco employee and was told, "They discontinued it at their location to encourage customers to visit the food court."  

It's one thing to return a poorly fitted clothing item — but food? It has to be almost inedible to merit a return, especially at a retailer as large as Costco. Yet, a Reddit user admitted that "Kirkland brand macaroni and cheese was the first food product I returned." There's a first time for everything, and apparently, this macaroni and cheese was just that bad. Mind you, we're not talking about the take-and-bake mac and cheese, but the boxed version. 

The negative comments weren't limited to one thread either. On another subreddit, a customer described, "The KS boxed Mac and Cheese was so bad that when I returned it, the cashier commented that everyone thought it was horrible." A slew of returned mac and cheese had to have cost the company some serious money — and if that isn't a giant flop, we don't what is.

Luckily, Costco didn't eradicate all its mac and cheese. The chain still sells popular mac and cheese brands like Annie's and Kraft. Meanwhile, vegan or gluten-free foodies will be happy to hear that certain locations sell Goodles mac and cheese, one of Costco's most popular food products.

The once-beloved American cheese has fallen out of favor with consumers, particularly millennials. This subset draws attention to the idea that American cheese isn't really cheese at all since it's labeled as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product." What was once a cheeseburger staple is gradually being replaced by more natural cheeses. TIME noticed this trend in 2018 and interviewed Sara Burnett, Panera Bread's director of wellness and food policy, to understand why. She described American cheese as "an ingredient we're looking to less and less in our pantry." The prediction was on point seeing how Costco stopped selling Kirkland American Cheese in 2019.

Kirkland American Cheese came in 120-slice packets. The unwrapped, staggered slices were a plus since they produced less waste and made the cheese easier to separate. However, the sheer quantity seems excessive (unless you're hosting an enormous barbecue). Sadly, the pros must not have outweighed the cons since Costco dropped this product. When discussing the reasoning on Reddit, one user claimed, "Sales were dropping on the KS stuff. Down several million dollars a year. Made more sense to increase our purchase volume from Kraft and, in turn, get a better price."

Luckily, you can still find Kraft Singles American Cheese on Costco shelves. Packages come with 96 slices, which is plenty to get that party going. And despite all the haters, there's a time and place for this processed cheese product. After all, American cheese is the perfect melting cheese and you can't beat the convenience of those individually wrapped, uniform squares.

You'd be hard-pressed to enter a grocery store and not find organic options — including peanut butter. But while Costco shoppers seem to be content with the Kirkland option today, this wasn't always the case. A previous Costco employee explained on Reddit, "When I worked there 10+ years ago they put out a Kirkland organic peanut butter that was somehow so bad that people complained quite a bit and Costco quickly reformulated it."

Even if this commentary is true, it's not the only reason Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter disappeared from store shelves for a period. The National Peanut Board reported that due to a peanut shortage in 2011, the product was discontinued in 2012. As Shauna Lopez, buyer for Kirkland Signature Foods, described, "The result was a peanut shortage so severe that Costco couldn't source enough peanuts. For more than a year we had no Kirkland Signature peanut butter to sell. I don't know how many calls we got."

Thankfully, a new and improved Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter is on store shelves and customers seem happy. Some Costco reviewers say they won't eat other brands and that it tastes great. However, just like all organic nut butter, make sure to stir your jar before diving in. The oils naturally separate and you'll want to blend them well for the best flavor.

Do your eggs come from happy hens? While we can't personally vouch for the emotional state of these animals, we'd assume they lead happier lives when roaming freely. Sadly, Costco sold Kirkland-brand egg products from caged hens longer than other major retailers, and it took some serious pressure from animal rights groups and celebrities to change this.

According to USA Today, Brad Pitt was among the celebrities who wrote Costco CEO Craig Jelinek, encouraging him to stop using eggs from caged hens. The 2015 letter stated, "These birds producing eggs for your shelves are crammed five or more into cages that are not large enough for even one hen to spread her wings." He goes on to describe how even Burger King and Unilever were getting rid of eggs from caged hens, and that Costco needed to step it up.

As people become increasingly aware of animal rights issues, they're paying more attention to where eggs come from. Luckily, Costco is taking steps in the right direction. You'll no longer find liquid eggs from caged hens on store shelves and the chain has promised to phase out shell eggs from caged hens as well. According to Costco's Animal Welfare Report, the company was up to 97% cage-free shell eggs in 2022 in the United States, and while this number declined in 2023, it assures us this was merely a temporary setback.

Kirkland's Spiced Rum may be a steal, but it seems the original version had several issues, leading to a new supplier. So if you saw Costco's Spiced Rum disappear from store shelves for a while, you weren't crazy. It was rumored the product would be revamped in early 2024. To confirm these suspicions, a Costco consumer asked an employee, sharing their findings on Reddit: "The spiced rum they used to sell HAS been discontinued. They've gone with another distiller. There will be a new bottle, new label, etc. And finally, the best part, the distributors were supposed to be getting it yesterday so it should start rolling out to stores soon."

It appears the new and improved product has hit store shelves. On another Reddit thread, a customer commented about the updated version and said the vanilla is really noticeable. Although it has a lower alcohol content, the flavor definitely sounds enhanced. But why take someone else's word for it? Pick up a bottle at your local Costco and experiment with rum cocktails at home.

Costco fans have a chip on their shoulder — but it's not of the chocolate variety. The retailer no longer sells Kirkland Signature Chocolate Chips, which came in semi-sweet and semi-sweet 51% chocolate chips. In the summer of 2024, customers started noticing these Costco staples disappearing and observed an increased supply of Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Morsels instead. Turning to Reddit, customers complained, "Nestle's products are generally sub-par. The Kirkland chips are much better. Sorry to see them go."

If customers loved this product so much, why did it flop? Suspicions point to sourcing issues. The chocolate industry has been in trouble for some time, and it's coming to a head. One Reddit user posted what they say is an email from a Costco representative. The text explains Costco's reasoning for discontinuing the product, citing that "Cocoa costs have risen nearly 200% compared to last year." As a result, the email explains the company can no longer sell its brand-name chocolate chips at a competitive price. Therefore, they've decided to replace them with Nestlé Toll House.

Whether this is a temporary or permanent decision is yet to be seen. The email stated that "It's likely we will stay out of KS for at least 12 months, but our long-term plan is to offer the item again in the future." We hope to one day see this product back on Costco shelves. Until then, customers will have to taste-test other store-bought chocolate chips to find a new favorite.

Açaí's 15 minutes of fame appear to be up. This Brazilian fruit was once touted as a superfood. And while it is a whole food packed with nutrients, people question whether it's any more beneficial than locally grown produce. In its heyday, consumers typically enjoyed this fruit in açai bowls, and vegans and health-conscious consumers were pleased to discover $5 vegan açaí bowls popping up on Costco's food court menus back in 2018. Kirkland Signature's Açai Bowl was made with a Sambazon Açaí mix, which almost looked like sorbet. It was topped with strawberries, blueberries, banana chips, and Kirkland Signature Granola Mix.

However, those health-conscious consumers quickly caught wind that the açai bowl wasn't as nutritious as it seemed. As one Reddit user puts it, "It doesn't taste like real acai. It tastes like some mixed berry sorbet with fruit on top." Others have commented that it tastes artificial and contains a high sugar content. Brazilians and Açaí food fans also detest the item, and on another Reddit thread, a customer said it "tasted like whatever was used to clean the soft serve machine." Although it did have a small fan base, this Costco food court item didn't last long and was discontinued in 2020.

Costco's food court is famous for its hot dog and soda combo, which has been priced at $1.50 since 1985. Customers used to have the choice between an all-beef frankfurter and a Polish sausage, but the latter was removed from menus in 2018. The Polish sausage offered a garlicky bite reminiscent of smoked kielbasa sausages which many people loved. Unfortunately, having two sausage options was one too many.

Costco officials shared their decision-making process, explaining, "In order to simplify our menu and make room for healthier options, we have decided to offer only the all-beef Hot Dog. Sales show this is what the majority of members prefer." With prices that low, Costco actually loses money on its hot dog combo – and a second sausage option only complicates matters. Mind you, this fan-favorite food court combo gets people through the door. And with a store as big as Costco, they're bound to buy things along the way. But to maximize sales, Costco made the right choice. The numbers don't lie and despite the flavorful, Polish meat, most consumers still opted for a classic dog.

It's hard to compete with Costco's $1.50 hot dog combo, which may explain why other meat-based menu items don't take off. Sadly, this includes the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich, which contained a hearty amount of shredded beef brisket, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw between soft buns. However, these delicious-sounding ingredients may have been its downfall.

There were rumblings that the sandwich was discontinued as early as 2019, and we suspect its preparation was a factor. As noted by a former employee on Reddit, "That sandwich was more of a pain in the butt to prep and go through all the procedures for than making 50 chocolate nut-covered ice cream bars in a row." This gives us the impression that the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich was labor-intensive and time-consuming. Products that are this high-maintenance can slow down service and eventually impact overall sales.

The BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich was also priced at $4.99, significantly higher than the hot dog combo. Even if it was delicious, brisket doesn't have the same universal appeal as a classic hot dog. If meat lovers are choosing between the two, you can't blame them for going for the tried-and-true sausage (and saving a few bucks while they're at it).