Costco shoppers are known for their loyalty to the warehouse giant’s signature Kirkland brand, but recently, fans of Kirkland’s chocolate chips have been left disappointed. In a surprising move, Costco has discontinued the beloved baking staple, sparking an outcry from customers who have come to rely on the product for their homemade treats. While some disappointed customers will begrudgingly make the transition to another brand, others are encouraging the masses to try and stop the discontinuation all together. Keep reading for more information.
Costco Moves To Discontinue Kirkland Chocolate Chips
One outraged customer who emailed Costco's customer service contact got a lengthy response from the team detailing exactly why the Kirkland Chocolate Chips are being discontinued. "We have made the decision to discontinue the Kirkland Signature Chocolate Chips across the company due to the rising costs of cocoa," they explained.
"Cocoa costs have risen near 200% compared to last year," the email continues. "The reality is, the cost our suppliers were presenting us, would no longer make our Kirkland Signature Chocolate Chips a value against national brands like Nestle Toll House, which is the commitment we make on Kirkland Signature Items: 'equal or better quality than national brands at a value."
However, they did offer a small glimmer of hope: "It's likely we will stay out of [Kirkland Signature Chocolate Chips] for at least 12 months, but our long term plan is to offer the item again in the future."
Costco Customers Are Outraged By Chocolate Chip Discontinuation
Another unhappy customer also contacted the customer service team at Costco, and came up with a different plan of attack. Posting on Reddit, they wrote, "I called customer service and she said to have as many people leave feedback on Costco.com about bringing the chocolate chips back. They tried this several years ago but there was such an outcry that they brought them back. Please help all of us home bakers do that again!"
Many other users quickly followed the original poster's lead, logging onto Costco.com to plead their case for the Kirkland Chocolate Chips. "Everyone buy a bag as a form of protest?" another suggested.
"Thanks for the heads-up; they are my favorite," another person commented. "I will be contacting Costco."
"I protested," another said. "You can go to Costco.com and request to chat with someone from membership."
"They reversed it years ago, they can do it again!" a final, hopeful customer said.
