One of the best perks of shopping at Costco, at least for me, is loading up on fun snacks you won’t necessarily find elsewhere.
Granted, this strategy isn’t the best for my budget or my waistline. But I can’t help it – I’m a natural snacker.
What I love about Costco’s snack offerings is that they’re truly unique. You can find products at Costco you won’t find anywhere else.
Take the Sweet Heat mix. It’s a blend of nuts, corn nuggets, and sesame sticks that has a nice little kick at the end.
But while you’ll often find that Costco’s snacks give you more bang for your buck compared to other stores, the warehouse club giant is not immune to price hikes. And the cost of one popular Costco snack item has gone up over time, frustrating members.
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Higher prices are hurting consumers
At a time when prices are up across the board, many consumers rely on retailers like Costco to help keep costs down. It’s for this reason, in fact, that so many people are willing to spend $65 a year on a Gold Star membership or $130 a year on an Executive membership.
But when retailers like Costco raise prices, it can deal members a huge blow.
Related: Costco sees major shift in member behavior
Costco typically does its best to shield consumers from price hikes. But sometimes, cost increases are beyond Costco’s control.
Unfortunately, at a time like this, higher prices are the last thing Costco members and consumers across the board can afford.
Data shows U.S. consumers are struggling
To give you a sense of how consumers are faring financially these days:
- The Consumer Price Index was up 2.7% in November, with food prices rising 2.6% Source: November CPI
- Retail sales slowed down in late 2025 as consumers pulled back Source: Reuters
- Americans increasingly can’t afford essentials like food and medical care due to higher costs Source: The Century Foundation
- 45% of Americans said their financial security is getting worse, not better, as of December 2025 Source: The Guardian
“Household financial conditions are more fragile than they were a few years ago,” Elizabeth Renter, senior economist at NerdWallet, told Reuters.
Worse yet, things may not improve anytime soon.
As Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody’s Analytics, posted on LinkedIn in December 2025, “The nation is suffering a serious affordability crisis…high inflation, combined with a job market struggling to create jobs, rising unemployment, and slowing wage growth, means that the tough financial times low- and middle-income Americans are grappling with will continue on.”
Costco quietly contributes to a growing trend
When Costco raises prices, it can serve as a major economic red flag. And the cost of one popular snack item has risen substantially in recent years.
As of December 2025, a 3-pound package of Costco’s famous Kirkland Signature Chocolate Almonds had a price tag of $24.99. But just two years prior, Reddit users were complaining about a $6 increase from $12.99 to $18.99, according to Food Republic.
Related: Costco fixing a major customer complaint
Of course, there’s a reason Costco may have had no choice but to raise the price of its Kirkland Signature Chocolate Almonds — a global cocoa shortage.
In the past few years, environmental problems and insect infections in West Africa, a huge cocoa production hub, have led to a decreased supply of cocoa. And whenever the supply of a key item decreases, its cost tends to increase.
Costco typically has more flexibility to avoid price increases than its competitors. And the reason is that the warehouse club giant not only limits its inventory to maintain better control over prices, but also, that it’s able to produce many products under its Kirkland Signature brand.
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In the coming year, the aforementioned cocoa shortage is expected to ease, so the cost of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Chocolate Almonds could come down.
Until then, you may want to buy your Costco snacks strategically if money is tight – and perhaps focus on items whose cost hasn’t quietly increased in recent years.
Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco.