Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips Discontinued at Sam's

[DiH]

Sam's Wholesale Club has told me that Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips have been discontinued in all of their stores nationwide. Almost worse news was hearing that they'd also had a major 5#/$.88 clearance sale to rid the product from their shelves.

Does anyone know where I can find the Ghirardelli chips in this area? I'm looking for in-home baking quantities... less than is sold by a food distributor but more than than a grocery store's typical 12 oz. bag. The 5 lb. bags were perfect for me.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Di

[BROWNSUGA]

Now that you say this, I think my local BJs (which is like Sam's) has stopped carrying them as well. They have been out of them the last few times that I went shopping.

I am curious to know where I can get them in my area as well.

Edited April 21, 2005 by BROWNSUGA (log)

[fifi]

I have always been able to get them in just about any grocery store. Not the five pound bags, but I could get them. They are an essential ingredient in my Microwave Fudge recipe. Though I haven't tried to buy them since the holidays.

[ladyyoung98]

i notice u live in dallas....last time i checked i beleive that krogers carries them and i think walmart may carry them as well...though if sams has stopped selling them then perhaps they have too...

i just cant fathom why sams would no longer carry them as they r made in the US..,.....

[Raynickben]

Try Cost Plus.

[joiei]

Ghirardelli probably refused to cut quality in order to meet Wal-mart price demands. If it is cheap, it is at Wal-mart Corporation stores, and it is cheap for a reason, wal-mart makes it be that way. They are the 8000# gorilla in the retail market. (I thought briefly about using 800, but they are way larger than that now. They have more income than a lot of third world countries. I can find Ghirardelli chips at a couple of the markets in this area. Have you tried emailing the corporation to see if you can buy directly.

[Susan G]

Wild Oats carries the smaller bags.....I just picked some up this afternoon.

[IML]

Or, even better, are the Guittard chocolate chips at Central Market, and for a comparable price.

[DiH]

I had emailed Sam's/WalMart Corp. to ask why they'd discontinued the G-chips... like, did I think they would really tell me??? Bwa ha ha ha ha! Anyway, here's the response that they did send...

"We will be carrying the Ghiradelli Dipping Kits and Baking Chips this coming Christmas Season. We have discontinued the Ghriadelli Semi Sweet Chocolate chips and will be bringing in a Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Chip in September."

Soooooooo it would appear that I'm stuck with 12 oz. bags til September.

Thanks, everybody, for all of your suggestions... y'all are such a big help.

Raynickben... I pulled up Cost Plus's website for a store locator. Are they all now called World Market? I've been to the World Market on I75 and wasn't thrilled... felt like I was in Pier I. Is their Preston store any better?

IML... I'd thought about Central Market too but figured I'd wait out the responses here before driving the distance.

Susan G... Wild Oats is a new one to me; I'll have to see if we've got any of those around here. What type of store is it?

joiei... I hear what you're saying. When I saw piles and piles of Nestles chips where the G's had formerly been, my first thought was that Nestle's had probably cut Sam's a better deal.

Di

Edited April 22, 2005 by DiH (log)

[robyn]

Costco carried what you're talking about (t's 3 bags of the mix in a single pckage). Then it discontinued it. Now it's back. Robyn

[joiei]

I just checked my latest Bakers Catalogue from King Arthur Flour and they have 5# bags of Schokinag bittersweet chips for 25.95 + shipping. I noticed that they also have Schokinag extreme bittersweet chips in 1# bags for 6.50. Has anyone ever tried this brand of chips. I have used their 11# blocks in the past, but have not tasted thier chips.

[Susan G]

Susan G... Wild Oats is a new one to me; I'll have to see if we've got any of those around here.  What type of store is it?

←

Wild Oats is the calmer, smaller version of Whole Foods.......we've got both here in Albuquerque; in Santa Fe they're a half mile apart - how's that for competition?

[BROWNSUGA]

Costco carried what you're talking about (t's 3 bags of the mix in a single pckage).  Then it discontinued it.  Now it's back.  Robyn

←

I checked my local Costco a few weeks ago and I didnt see any. I am going to have to check again.

[Susan G]

Bad news. I checked the Wild Oats Natural Marketplace website, and they don't have a store in Dallas. Moreover, they are affiliated with Texas "Sun Harvest" stores, but that line doesn't have a branch in Dallas either. Sorry!

[Raynickben]

Raynickben... I pulled up Cost Plus's website for a store locator.  Are they all now called World Market?  I've been to the World Market on I75 and wasn't thrilled... felt like I was in Pier I.  Is their Preston store any better?

Di

←

Yes, you are right...they are called World Market now. They are very Pier 1ish but they carry wines and food products that are unusual and of good quality. It's the only place I can find that carries jarred chestnuts that I need around the holidays and they always have some great international candies and chocolates that I give my kids throughout the year. I go to the one at Preston and 121. Before you make the trip up there give them a call to see what they carry. I know they sell Ghirardelli but I'm not sure it is what you are looking for.

[irodguy]

The probem with purchasing Ghirardelli chips elsewhere is cost. When making 20 dozen cookies for an order it's simply to expensive to go with anything other than the "chip of the day" @ Sams.

[Kevin72]

Yes, you are right...they are called World Market now.  They are very Pier 1ish but they carry wines and food products that are unusual and of good quality.  It's the only place I can find that carries jarred chestnuts that I need around the holidays

←

Hey, that's why I go there too!

Umm, on topic, I've seen Ghiradelli even at regular grocery stores in the DFW area.

[DiH]

The probem with purchasing Ghirardelli chips elsewhere is cost.  When making 20 dozen cookies for an order it's simply to expensive to go with anything other than the "chip of the day" @ Sams.

←

Yeah, I know. That's why I posted here... hoping that someone might know of a source for reasonably priced 4 or 5 lb. bags of something better than ol' run of the mill Nestles.

Robyn and BROWNSUGAR... the only Costco I regularly shop at is their location at I75/Springcreek Pkwy. Although I haven't been there recently to know which particular brand they've got stocked now, I did call them the other day and was told that they don't carry Ghirardelli chips.

Di

[digigirl]

Are the Ghirardelli chips really that much better than the usual supermarket brands? I've had other Ghirardelli products and didn't find them to be that exceptional. Good, but not so much better as to justify the much higher cost.

Especially the cocoa - when making homemade hot chocolate mixes as gifts for Xmas, I tried all the brands I could find and Ghirardelli's was not nearly as good as some of the others.

Now, I can see that for baking it might be different - with the addition of butter and sugar and all that good stuff. Maybe I'd have liked Ghirardelli better for that than for the hot chocolate.

Just wondering.....

[digigirl]

Btw, I found this online - 5lb for $12.39 plus shipping:

http://www.spiceplace.com/product_info.php...products_id/293

However it also shows "Out of Stock." Maybe Ghirardelli is discontinuing the regular chips since they have the double chocolate ones now?

[DiH]

Are the Ghirardelli chips really that much better than the usual supermarket brands?  I've had other Ghirardelli products and didn't find them to be that exceptional.  Good, but not so much better as to justify the much higher cost.

Especially the cocoa - when making homemade hot chocolate mixes as gifts for Xmas, I tried all the brands I could find and Ghirardelli's was not nearly as good as some of the others. 

Now, I can see that for baking it might be different - with the addition of butter and sugar and all that good stuff.  Maybe I'd have liked Ghirardelli better for that than for the hot chocolate.

Just wondering.....

←

I think G's flavor is better than Hershey's and especially it's better than Nestles. That's my opinion tho'. Everybody has their preferences, y'know?

To clarify, my primary attraction to Sam's big bags of G-chips was initially all about the cost... lots for less. Then it became about the flavor. When it comes to ganache, mousse, etc. - and PH's chocolate ice cream - where chocolate is at the forefront, I suppose I'll have to shell out the big bucks from now on. Otherwise, I guess I'll be biting the bullet and buying whatever's cheapest. hehehe

You're right about the flavor of some of G's products not being as good as other brands. Although the chocolate chips and baking bars are excellent, the powdered cocoa totally sucks. Hershey's still remains my cocoa of choice.

I did find G-chips yesterday at Tom Thumb. Just as I suspected, $2.79 for a lousy 12 oz. bag. Guittard was $2.19 for the same size bag. I have never used Guittard chips -- does anyone here have experience with them? How's the flavor?

digigirl... "However it also shows "Out of Stock." Maybe Ghirardelli is discontinuing the regular chips since they have the double chocolate ones now?" Hmmmm, interesting thought. You might be onto something there.

Also, does anyone have any experience with mail-order chocolate? I mean, in this Texas heat... euwwwwww.

Di

[joiei]

I agree with you about the quality of chips. Some are just too sweet and too litlte chocolate.

[BROWNSUGA]

I personally like the taste of the chips better. While I aint too happy about it, I have resorted to buying the Nestle's. Our local Sam's carries Berkley & Jensen's chips. I am not sure how much they are compared to Nestle's. Has anyone ever had experience with Berkley & Jensen's products?

[DiH]

I personally like the taste of the chips better.  While I aint too happy about it, I have resorted to buying the Nestle's.  Our local Sam's carries Berkley & Jensen's chips. I am not sure how much they are compared to Nestle's.  Has anyone ever had experience with Berkley & Jensen's products?

←

I've never even heard of the B&J chips... which Sam's did you see them at? Hmmm, I don't s'pose they'd open a bag for sampling, huh.

Di

[BROWNSUGA]

I am sorry...I meant my local BJs.