Costco brings back a beloved holiday favorite — but there is one problem
The current price of the item is $16.99, which is several times higher than the $9.99 it used to be.
Nov. 13 2025, Published 2:29 a.m. ET
The holiday season might turn out to be different for Americans this year under the shadow of Trump's tariffs as well as financial stress. In such gloomy times, a beloved seasonal confectionery making a comeback at a retail giant is a sweet surprise. One such item that shoppers have loved for many years is Costco’s Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark. A report in AOL states that shoppers wait for the product with bated breath as the holiday season draws near. However, this year, shoppers aren't that excited because of the price.
The report states that shoppers have called the Kirkland product one of Costco’s most anticipated items. It can be found in the bakery section and is made with layers of white and dark chocolate, topped with crushed bits of peppermint candy.
Everything about it seems good until one gets to the price. This year, the 21-ounce container of the same is valued at $16.99. That’s higher than the price in 2024, during which it was priced at $14.99. In years prior, the same product used to be sold for $9.99.
Shoppers may love the product, but many of them aren’t fans of the pricing. Costco had released a promotional video about the product on Instagram, and those disappointed with the pricing made their feelings known in the comments section. “I love the peppermint bark, but they overpriced it this year. 😢,” one user wrote. “16.99? It used to be 9.99 a few years ago. 😱😮,” mentioned another. “16.99? No thanks,” one consumer stated.
While Costco has brought back this customer-favorite to its shelves, it comes just a few days after reports emerged that another popular item was removed. The company did it in a stealthy manner, which perhaps people did not pick up on until recently. The product in question is the Kirkland Signature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter. There are a few reasons why this was done.
Costco only keeps an item on its shelf if it can offer an affordable price point for its customers. The Kirkland brand will release a version of it first to see if there is enough demand for something like it. However, if Costco is not able to source the product at a good enough price point, it will be discontinued.
Another reason why something like this could have been done is Costco’s constant need to limit its inventory so that customers can buy high-quality products instead of stale, old ones. In this case, some older products have to be phased out to accommodate new ones. However, this doesn’t mean that the peanut butter won’t make a comeback.
More on Market Realist: