Why Is Costco Being So Cheap With Its New Sugar Cookies?

Consumers have generally been watching their wallets more as inflation takes a toll on their budgets. As they've been keeping a closer eye on prices, they've gotten wise to shrinkflation, a sneaky way products are priced and packaged so your money doesn't go quite as far. Usually this is done by keeping the cost the same but reducing the size or quantity of the item. Now it appears that Costco may be guilty of pulling some shrinkflation pricing with one of its new bakery offerings.

People have been posting on social media about Costco's new Brown Butter Sugar Cookies, excitedly talking about how soft and chewy they are and pointing out the delightful crunchy sugar crystals that are sprinkled on top. But some folks have noticed something different: While Costco's other bakery cookies, like the Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal Raisin, and Double Nut, usually come in packs of 24 for $9.99, there are only 21 Brown Butter Sugar Cookies in packages that sell for $7.99 each.

This isn't the first time Costco has been dinged for doing this. It used to carry a variety of bakery muffins, which were sold in two 6-packs of assorted flavors for $9.99. However, the warehouse got rid of that deal in 2024 in favor of 8-packs of muffins (all the same flavor) for $6.99. Some customers also claimed that the muffins got smaller, and online posts that did the math per ounce contended the new pricing was 58% more expensive. There were also claims that Costco changed its peppermint bark packaging so that shoppers got less for their money.

Costco shoppers may be particularly sensitive to shrinkflation because they choose to shop at the big box retailer for the bargains they can get there. Its customers are also particularly devoted to its sweet treats, getting upset when fan-favorite Costco bakery items are discontinued. They seem to be most likely to notice the store making changes that affect the value of a product or when the prices for Costco bakery favorites go up.