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If you’ve ever loved a grocery item that ended up discontinued, you know it’s a disappointment that can really put a damper on your life in the kitchen. While frustrating, grocery store offerings are a constant ebb and flow of seasonal items, and the new pushing out the old. These changes to the inventory are even more common at major retailers like Costco, which are hoping to keep their shelves as attractive as possible.
All grocery chains have their own methods of phasing out discontinued products to make room for the new, but at Costco, warehouses use what shoppers have dubbed the “death star.” When an item is about to go MIA, a small asterisk will appear in the top right-hand corner of its price tag, signaling that it will no longer be restocked once sold out.
These discontinuations pop up at Costco’s warehouses and Business Centers all year round, and a fresh new batch has materialized in time for winter. Read on to find out which items have recently been spotted with the dreaded “death star” in these last few months of 2022.
Following the spooky season this year, Costco was quick to slap the death star on many fall and Halloween-inspired treats—leaving the candy aisle a ghost of its former self. Shoppers took notice on social media, announcing the massive discounts and spreading the word that a few beloved favorites would soon vanish.
Instagram account @costco.love shared the following discontinued goodies with followers and fellow Costco lovers:
- Kägi Milk Chocolate Wafers
- Creative Snacks Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Pretzels
- Bakery Bling Halloween Hideaway House Kit
- Coastal Cocktails Chocolate Cocoa Bombs
- Hoody’s Cookies N’ Cream Trail Mix
- Honolulu Cookie Company Pumpkin Mini Cookies
- Tropical Fields Brown Sugar CC Rolls
- Mauna Loa Macadamia Variety Pack
A few days later, even more seasonal products were added to the list–mainly name brand candy bar packs:
- Mars Variety Pack, 30 Count
- Hershey’s Variety Pack, 30 Count
- Full Size Bars Variety Pack, 30 Bars
- Kinder Joy Halloween, 12 Count
- Bakery Bling Halloween Cookie Kit
- Premium Belgian Chocolate Harvest Box
Desserts dedicated to a different holiday additionally got the ax at the end of October, according to firsthand sightings by Instagram user @costcobffs. The following Diwali specialties can be seen with a black asterisk in the account’s post:
- Haldiram Manpasand Delight
- Haldiram Mazedaar Kissey
- Vicenzi Diwali Holiday Tin
If you were hoping to just hop over to Costco’s Business Center to satisfy your sweet cravings instead, think again. The Business Centers have been discontinuing items—including a few bite-sized delectable desserts—just as fast as Costco’s standard warehouses.
Read Related Also: 5 Thanksgiving Meal Kits You Can Still Get Before Nov. 24
In a more recent post, @costcobffs reveals that two sweet options will soon be just a distant memory at the Business Center locations:
- Bequet Celtic Sea Salt Caramel
- Highkey Mini Cookies Chocolate Chip
A few healthy meal options will soon be leaving Costco’s Business Centers as well, according to @costcobffs. These grab and go meals are about to be as good as gone, so snag them while you still can:
- Taylor Farms Chicken Caesar Bowls, 4 Count
- Taylor Farms Everything Avocado Salad Bowls, 4 Count
- Taylor Farms Dill Pickle Crunch Salad Bowls, 4 Count
Making its way to the freezer aisle of Costco’s Business Center, Instagram account @costcobffs found a few more items branded with the death star. If you’re a fan of these two ice cream treats, you may want to clear some room in your freezer and stock up before they’re phased out:
- M&M Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, 24 Count
- Dove Vanilla Ice Cream w/Milk Chocolate Bars
Ready-to-drink beverages or drink mixes are a quick fix for busy families or for those constantly on the go. Unfortunately, during a recent trip to the big-box store, @costco.hotbuys found a few of these handy and convenient options were among soon-to-be discontinued items:
- Clovis Farms Organic Tropical Blend Smoothies
- Boba Bam Instant Boba Kit
In a roundup of even more discounted food, household items, and apparel at a local San Francisco Costco, @costcobffs discovered the following alcoholic beverage and name brand coffee creamer marked with the death star:
- Kirkland Signature RTF Vodka Cocktails
- Califia Farms Oat Milk Cinnamon Roll Creamer
The sweet scent of holiday baking will fill our kitchens all December long. But, if these two baking mixes from Costco were on your list of desserts to try, you better act fast. The post from @costcobffs revealed that the Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix will be absent from Costco shelves any day now. The mix comes in a four-pack and requires just water, vegetable oil, and two eggs in order to bake. Members can buy it now for just $4.97 while supplies last.
Miss Jones Monster Cookie Mix, 3-Pack, is also on the chopping block, according to @costco.hotbuys. Each pack makes 18 delicious, gluten-free cookies and, again, requires just three additional ingredients: peanut butter, butter, and one egg. It can be identified by its bright pink packaging and is currently going for $6.97 at Costco’s warehouses.
Recent shopping trips and clearance checks performed by both @costcobffs and @costco.hotbuys uncovered a few more doomed products—this time in the organic and health foods category. These include both:
- Eathos Cauliflower Pesto Gnocchi
- Naturipe Fresh Cranberries
And, specifically at Costco Business Centers:
- Amylu Cranberry and Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs
- Ocean’s Halo Organic Sushi Nori Sheets
