Secrets Costco doesn’t want you to know, including what to look for on signs
COSTCO is known for its large quantities and low prices, but there are some hidden details that can help you save even more money.
A shopper has revealed what to look out for next time you visit the wholesaler.
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In her viral videoTikTok user Shivani Khosla (@choslaa) took her followers along as she explored her local Costco.
As she walked through the store, she revealed “the secrets Costco doesn’t want you to know.”
Shivani started by discussing the store’s popular and budget-friendly rotisserie chickens.
She pointed out that the ready-made chickens, which retail for just £3.99, are always at the back of the store.
According to the TikToker, this layout design caused shoppers to pick up more items than they had originally planned.
She suspected that this allowed the store to keep prices so low.
Shivani admitted that the technique worked for her, as she was convinced to spontaneously purchase items because of the discount prices.
She also discussed the hidden details to look out for on price signs.
“Anything that ends in ‘.99’ is regular price, anything that ends in ‘.97’ means it’s on clearance,” the TikToker explained.
“And if you see something with an asterisk at the top, that means it’s the last time it’s on sale.”
Shivani clarified that this symbol “basically means they won’t sell it again anytime soon.”
She added that Costco also regularly changes the layout of their stores.
This means shoppers always have to browse the aisles to find something on their list.
She pointed out that the average time spent in Costco is 38 minutes, about 10 minutes more than most other stores.
TikTok users shared their thoughts on the insights in the comments section.
How to Save Money on Your Grocery Store
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Strange boxes – many retailers offer slightly misshapen fruits and vegetables or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl is selling five kilos of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme, while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags containing a range of produce worth £10 for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s is also selling £2 ‘Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me’ fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduce food waste and save money.
Food waste apps – Food waste apps work by helping stores, cafes, restaurants and other businesses pass their soon-to-be-outdated inventory to the public.
Some of the most notable are Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up and used by millions of people in the UK, allowing users to buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can pick up both food and other household items for free from neighbors and businesses.
Bargains with yellow stickers – Bargains with yellow stickers, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way to get food cheaply.
But what time you should go out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can view the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – join bargain hunters on Facebook groups such as Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK, where shoppers regularly post deals they’ve found cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you almost always save money if you opt for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
Switching to lower models, known as ‘downshifting’ and praised by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your grocery shopping spree.
“My biggest flex is that I once spent 14 minutes in Costco. I went in, got my son’s cake, paid and left,” one viewer wrote.
“If the price is marked down, it will be greatly reduced. You often see it in the fruit and vegetable section, but you also see it in some other food sections,” another customer shared.
“This is right, a good spot on the inactive and active constellations,” said a third person.
“Stock merchandising, all the big stores will do this,” said another follower.
“[They] move their shares. It is intended to prevent customers from making sleepover purchases because they know where everything is. This attracts them to other products.”
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