Costco quietly removes a beloved Kirkland product from its shelves — but why?

No one saw this coming, but it doesn't mean the product won't return to the shelves again.

PUBLISHED 1 HOUR AGO

Customer pushing a Trolley in Costco (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Joe Raedle )

Costco has been called out over quality concerns by customers on social media and has had to pull down products as part of massive recalls. In such a situation, it's surprising for the retailer to remove a product that became a favorite among customers. When such an item cannot suddenly be found either on the shelves or online, the shoppers are left disappointed and concerned.

A general view of a Costco store | Getty Images | Photo by Kena Betancur — A general view of a Costco store. (Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Kena Betancur)

According to a report in The Street, one such product quietly removed from shelves is the Kirkland Signature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter. The report states that shoppers believe that the product has a rich flavor with just the right amount of salt. There seem to be multiple reasons for the retail giant to deprive its customers of such a product.

One of the biggest reasons why Costco will sell a product is if it believes it can offer a good price point on it. The product will also first be released as a part of the Kirkand brand to see if there is any money to be made before selling similar products of other brands. If the company is not able to source the product at an affordable price, the item will be discontinued without notice to customers.

Representative image of peanut butter. (Image credit: Getty Images | Photo by Helen Camacaro) — Representative image of peanut butter. (Image source: Getty Images | Photo by Helen Camacaro)

Another reason why the peanut butter might not be on the shelves anymore is that Costco always tries to limit its inventory so that customers can avail the good quality products at affordable prices. For this to be possible, some of the older products have to be phased out to be able to accommodate the new ones. Unfortunately, this phasing out of old products does not always sit well with the customers.

The popularity of Kirkland’s peanut butter goes way back, as a Reddit thread from a couple of years ago revealed how much people loved the product. “This is what REAL peanut butter is like, not the processed garbage with added sugars and hydrogenated oils you are used to buying,” one user had written back then. “The best peanut butter on the planet. I bought one of these no-stir mixers just for it. Straight into the fridge after mixing, and it's perfection,” another consumer commented.

A customer moves through the checkout lane with his groceries at a Costco | Getty Images | Robert Nickelsberg) — A customer moves through the checkout lane with his groceries at a Costco (Image source: Getty Images | Robert Nickelsberg)

Although shoppers may be disappointed that Costco is not selling the famous Kirkland peanut butter any longer. They can take some relief in the fact that a lot of Costco’s discontinued products are only off the shelf on a temporary basis. As per another report by The Street, the supermarket chain had reintroduced its Sweet Heat snack mix, which was discontinued. The product was a fan favorite, like the peanut butter, and it did not take Costco too long to bring it back.