I shopped at Costco to see if the store has raised prices due to tariffs. Here are the biggest changes I noticed.
Kirkland's organic roasted seaweed, sourced from South Korea, cost a dollar more than it did in April — a 9% price increase from $10.99 to $11.99.
Trump imposed a 25% tariff on South Korea.
The price of Kind bars, which are made in the US, had decreased by about 11.5% since my last trip.
The box of 22 bars said that they were made in the US "with domestic and imported ingredients." The price of the Kind bars decreased from $19.99 in April to $17.69 in June.
Some price changes were due to limited-time sales, like a $3 discount on Nature's Path organic granola.
Nature's Path organic granola was on sale for $5.99 during my June shopping trip. I'd previously paid $8.99 in April.
The pumpkin seed and flax granola comes in 35.5-ounce bags. Nature's Path's website says that it "does not currently purchase any products internationally that would require 'product of…' labeling."
Overall, prices at Costco hadn't changed much. Their strategy appears to be working.
Out of the 23 items on my grocery list I compared from April, only three became more expensive, and three decreased in price.
On the third-quarter earnings call, Costco CFO Gary Millerchip said that keeping prices low for members pays off despite squeezed profit margins. When prices eventually fall, he said, it allows the company to "feel the margin relief faster while also being able to lower prices more quickly than our competitors."
I'm grateful Costco has largely kept its prices the same, choosing to lower profit margins instead of passing higher costs on to consumers.
