There's a reason people are willing to shell out $65 or $130 per year for the option to shop at Costco. What you pay for that membership, you gain in the form of savings and an outstanding customer experience.
Imagine you spend $65 a year on Costco's basic Gold Star membership, but in the course of doing so, you save yourself $500 annually on groceries and other essential items you can't do without. Clearly, that makes the fee worth it.
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Plus, if you have the storage space at home, shopping at Costco can also be extremely convenient.
It's annoying to have to constantly replenish your supply of paper towels, dish soap, and shampoo. But if you buy those items in massive quantities at Costco, you're going to run out less frequently.
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Also, there are certain items that only Costco sells. If you're a big snacker, you might appreciate the exclusive selection of trail mixes and other unique products you won't find elsewhere.
Costco members outraged over decline in produce section
Although Costco is known for its quality grocery products, lately, members have been complaining about a decline in quality in the store's produce section.Buying produce in bulk is, by nature, kind of risky, since it has such a limited shelf life.
But Costco members have been swarming Reddit with complaints about the store's bananas in particular.
“Costco bananas we bought over a week ago never ripened,” one user griped. “They are hard as rocks, I can’t even open them.”
Other Redditors were quick to chime in about similar experiences.
“Costco organic bananas that I bought green, immediately put in a paper bag when I got home. It’s been 3 weeks and they have barely changed,” another said.
The problem has gotten so bad that some members said they're just going to boycott the bananas at Costco and buy them elsewhere.
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Unfortunately, complaints about Costco produce aren't limited to bananas. Some people were quick to point out that they'd experienced similar issues with the store's avocados and limes.
What Costco shoppers should do:
- Check your bananas before leaving the store.
- If produce won’t ripen, return it for a refund.
- Consider buying bananas and avocados elsewhere until Costco fixes the issue.
Costco offers members a liberal return policy
In addition to offering low prices on the items it stocks, Costco places a lot of value on product quality.
Costco doesn't just want to be known as a savings destination. Rather, it wants people to regard it as a company that offers high-quality products on top of its low prices.
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To this end, Costco purposely limits its store inventory to about 4,000 SKUs (stock keeping units). At a traditional supermarket or big-box store, you might find 40,000 different products on the shelves at a given time.
Costco intentionally goes light on inventory so it can maintain better quality control, and also, keep better tabs on pricing.
Costco is so committed to quality that it maintains one of the most flexible return policies in the retail space. If you purchase an item that doesn't meet your standards for quality, you can, with very few exceptions, get your money refunded — no questions asked.
Now the good news is that Costco members whose produce never ripens can bring it back to the store for a full refund.
The bad news is that if you continue to buy your bananas from Costco, you may end up never getting to eat them and having to deal with the hassle of waiting in line at customer service for your money back.
Until the situation improves, you may want to buy your bananas elsewhere.
Costco produce FAQ:
- Why are Costco members boycotting bananas? Members report the bananas won’t ripen, even after weeks. Complaints have appeared on Reddit and other social platforms.
- Can you return bananas to Costco? Yes. Costco’s return policy allows you to bring back any item that doesn’t meet quality standards, including produce.
Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco.
Related: Costco doesn't want members (and non-members) to know this
