Costco

[Toliver]

Costco is making sure their major loss leader, their rotisserie chicken, has a secure future.

"It's only $4.99. But Costco's rotisserie chicken comes at a huge price"

Quote

At the back of Costco's stores, past the televisions, jewelry, jumbo-sized ketchup jugs and tubs of mixed nuts, is one of the retailer's most prized items: The rotisserie chicken that costs just $4.99.

Cheap Kirkland Signature rotisserie chickens aren't only a quick way for families to get dinner on the table. For Costco, the chickens are a lure, pulling customers into stores and getting them to browse the aisles, adding sometimes hundreds of dollars worth of items to their shopping carts before they pick up that bird.

It's a lengthy read but I found it fascinating to learn of the steps they are taking to make sure the price remains unchanged and to cut out the middleman/persons and become directly involved in growing their own chickens.

I can attest that I am a fan of their rotisserie chicken and won't even look at the rotisserie chickens in my local grocery stores (too small, for too much money).

I thought it was also interesting that one of the reasons for this Costco move into chicken "farming" came about because they had trouble sourcing large enough birds for their stores. Which, in turn, speaks about where the larger birds were being directed by the chicken companies.

Anyone else a fan of their rotisserie chickens?

[lindag]

9 minutes ago, Toliver said:

Costco is making sure their major loss leader, their rotisserie chicken, has a secure future.

"It's only $4.99. But Costco's rotisserie chicken comes at a huge price"

It's a lengthy read but I found it fascinating to learn of the steps they are taking to make sure the price remains unchanged and to cut out the middleman/persons and become directly involved in growing their own chickens.

I can attest that I am a fan of their rotisserie chicken and won't even look at the rotisserie chickens in my local grocery stores (too small, for too much money).

I thought it was also interesting that one of the reasons for this Costco move into chicken "farming" came about because they had trouble sourcing large enough birds for their stores. Which, in turn, speaks about where the larger birds were being directed by the chicken companies.

Anyone else a fan of their rotisserie chickens?

Without a doubt the best rotisserie chickens out there.

Whenever possible serve before you refrigerate, they taste much better that way.

Edited October 11, 2019 by lindag (log)

[ElsieD]

Are Costco rotisserie chickens in the US 6 pounds in weight as the article seems to suggest?

[heidih]

Yup the environmental impact is so so huge. Never touch it.

Edited October 11, 2019 by heidih (log)

[robirdstx]

I was in my Costco yesterday. Bought one of the rotisserie chickens, some lamb chops and dishwasher detergent. Only succumbed to one not planned for purchase and that was only $13. Total damage $86 and enough chicken for several meals. Also got gas at $2.05/gallon.

[lemniscate]

Love it.  No other widely accessible rotisserie chicken seems to come close to the taste and quality.  If it sucked, even at $4.99, I wouldn't buy it.   The fact that it is $4.99 and delicious is kind of a miracle.

[kayb]

I won't buy groceries at WalMart, but Sam's rotisserie chicken is respectable. We do not have a Costco here in the heart of WalMartian country.

 

[Anna N]

I like Cosco’s chicken so much so that I won’t buy rotisserie chicken anywhere else but 6lbs. I don’t think so.

[chromedome]

I really doubt they're 6 lbs in Canada.

 

Also they're $7.99 up here, but that's still cheaper than you can buy an uncooked chicken anywhere. To put that price point into perspective, a rotisserie chicken pretty much anywhere else here is $3-$4 more. We buy them off and on, though I find them terribly salty.

[ElsieD]

12 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I like Cosco’s chicken so much so that I won’t buy rotisserie chicken anywhere else but 6lbs. 

 

"Bird weights are expected to continue rising, presenting a problem for Costco. Costco needs birds around six pounds to cook in stores."  That is the quote from the article above. 

 

I'll ask again because I'm curious - are the rotisserie chicken in the United States Costcos really 6 pounds?  I think ours are around 1.2 kilos, a far cry from 6 pounds and they charge $7.99.  Still a good buy and we both like them.

[lemniscate]

The leftover lid from my latest Costco chicken states the net wt of 3 lbs.

[ElsieD]

47 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

The leftover lid from my latest Costco chicken states the net wt of 3 lbs.

 

Thank you.  That's close to ours if my memory of 1.2 kilos us correct.  Maybe ours are 1.4 kilos which would bring the size to the same as yours.  I wonder why the article kept referencing 6 pound birds?

[lindag]

41 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

Thank you.  That's close to ours if my memory of 1.2 kilos us correct.  Maybe ours are 1.4 kilos which would bring the size to the same as yours.  I wonder why the article kept referencing 6 pound birds?

Could that be the pre-processing weight?

 

[ElsieD]

7 minutes ago, lindag said:

Could that be the pre-processing weight?

 

I wouldn't think the innards, head, feet and feathers would make up the three pound difference, but I could be wrong.

[haresfur]

I do like Costco chooks, but feel a bit guilty about those big-breasted cage birds. I think the main thing is that they have the brining and the timing to a science.

 

I don't buy rotisserie chicken here because they are expensive and not very well done. Where my partner used to live there was a Charcoal Chook shop that made wonderful smelling but pretty tough grilled chicken. For home, I've actually started going to smaller free-range birds for rotisserie over the barbie to try to get better taste.

[Toliver]

My Costco also sells just the cooked meat from the rotisserie chickens. I forget the cost but I believe it's a 2-pound package. When I get it home I just cut it in half and throw them in the freezer. Then when I need chicken meat for enchiladas, pot pies, stews, etc, I just take out one of the halves and let it thaw. Easy peasy.

When buying a whole rotisserie chicken where you just want the meat, the trick is to remove the meat from the still-warm bird (after you've washed your hands, of course). If you refrigerate the chicken, the meat will stick like glue to the bones.

 

[Kim Shook]

We eat so much Costco chicken that I have a dedicated freezer bag for Costco chicken carcasses.  When it gets full, I make stock.

[dscheidt]

On 10/12/2019 at 6:15 PM, lindag said:

Could that be the pre-processing weight?

 

That's the slaughter weight.  Less the feathers, head, innards, etc, will be about 4 pounds.  Cooking will lose some more weight.

[MelissaH]

Syracuse got a Costco a few years back, in a part of town I didn't frequent. I visited with once friends who had a membership (but have since moved across the country), because I was curious. At the time, I had a membership to BJs, one location of which was in a part of town I visit regularly; later that year, BJs raised their price on the kitty litter we use, which negated any savings so we let the membership drop.

 

Fast forward to now, and BJs sends me offers for a free 3-month membership every fall. I usually make the time to redeem the offer, and in the three months, I still rarely find anything that's either better or more economical for our family to buy, so I don't bother re-upping when the three months are up. But the other thing that's happened is that I picked up a once-a-week teaching gig, and driving home from there gets me very close to the Costco. But as I remember, Costco doesn't even let you in the door without a membership card, so I have no way to check it out and see how what it carries meshes with our current needs.

 

Which begs the question: Do those of you who are members ever get lure-a-friend deals? I'd still like to check it out, maybe try one of the famous rotisserie chickens, and see what all the fuss is.

[karlos]

You don't need to be a member to use their pharmacy, so just tell the person by the front door you are getting a prescription. That way you can look to see if they have things of interest or use to you before joining. You only need to be a member to buy anything.

[fledflew]

7 hours ago, karlos said:

You don't need to be a member to use their pharmacy, so just tell the person by the front door you are getting a prescription. That way you can look to see if they have things of interest or use to you before joining. You only need to be a member to buy anything.

Some states require Costco to sell alcohol to non-members as well - that's another way to take a look inside (and maybe even stock up on wine and liquor) without a membership.  

 

I have never seen a referral deal for membership, but I have seen a $20 gift card promotion with basic membership.  Also, you can get an executive membership for $120 (in the US) which will pay back 2% cash back.  My yearly dividend is usually between $130-$180, so it covers the cost of membership.  

[fledflew]

I personally find store chickens mushy and tasteless.  I grew up eating "Chinese chickens" from SF Chinatown which were less meaty, but had a much "chickenier" flavor and the meat was quite springy.  I find the meat on store rotisserie chickens almost pasty and the skin (my favorite part) is flabby and greasy.  

 

I started making rotisserie chickens myself on the gas grill about 15 years ago and have only eaten a store rotisserie chicken maybe 10 times since then.  I'd go on, but that probably belongs in a different thread...

[lemniscate]

@MelissaH

Looks like there's a Groupon deal.  I've never used a Groupon anything so I'm not familiar with the process.

Article HERE.

Groupon link HERE.

 

To be honest, this is a fantastic deal.  Also canceling a Costco membership is very, very easy if you are not satisfied.  My advice is go for this deal, get the bennies and then test out Costco for your needs.   I've been a member for decades and never once regretted it.

 

Highlights of deal here:  (LOTS of stuff included, nice things)

 

Groupon is running a limited time offer for a Costco Gold Star membership. According to Groupon’s website, the package deal is valued at $148.98 when you take into account the membership fee and the additional goodies. If you buy a membership through Costco’s website, you can get a one-year Gold Star Costco membership for $60. So, what does this Groupon deal actually get you? Here’s what you get for the $60 Groupon Costco deal:

• A One-Year Costco Gold Star Membership. This includes a membership card for the Primary Cardholder and one additional Household Card for anyone over the age of 18 and living at the same address.
• A $20 Costco Shop Card. The gift card is valid towards any Costco purchase, including gas.
• Exclusive coupons for the following products (a $68.98 value) which vary depending on your Costco location
• Free Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Laundry Detergent Pacs (a $17.99 value)
• Free Kirkland Signature Create-a-Size® Paper Towels (a $15.99 value)
• $10 off Fresh Meat. This includes beef, chicken, pork, or fish but excludes deli items.
• $25 off any order of $250+ on Costco.com

Edited October 21, 2019 by lemniscate (log)

[MelissaH]

37 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

@MelissaH

Looks like there's a Groupon deal.  I've never used a Groupon anything so I'm not familiar with the process.

Article HERE.

Groupon link HERE.

 

To be honest, this is a fantastic deal.  Also canceling a Costco membership is very, very easy if you are not satisfied.  My advice is go for this deal, get the bennies and then test out Costco for your needs.   I've been a member for decades and never once regretted it.

 

Highlights of deal here:  (LOTS of stuff included, nice things)

 

Groupon is running a limited time offer for a Costco Gold Star membership. According to Groupon’s website, the package deal is valued at $148.98 when you take into account the membership fee and the additional goodies. If you buy a membership through Costco’s website, you can get a one-year Gold Star Costco membership for $60. So, what does this Groupon deal actually get you? Here’s what you get for the $60 Groupon Costco deal:

• A One-Year Costco Gold Star Membership. This includes a membership card for the Primary Cardholder and one additional Household Card for anyone over the age of 18 and living at the same address.
• A $20 Costco Shop Card. The gift card is valid towards any Costco purchase, including gas.
• Exclusive coupons for the following products (a $68.98 value) which vary depending on your Costco location
• Free Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Laundry Detergent Pacs (a $17.99 value)
• Free Kirkland Signature Create-a-Size® Paper Towels (a $15.99 value)
• $10 off Fresh Meat. This includes beef, chicken, pork, or fish but excludes deli items.
• $25 off any order of $250+ on Costco.com

 

Thanks for the info. The shop card I'd use. The rest, not so much. Sounds like, at least for the way we shop, we're better off at Wegmans!

[blue_dolphin]

That Groupon is no longer available so I guess it's just as well that it wasn't a good fit.