Costco just confirmed it has dropped a fan-favorite product line in surprising move
Costco attracts shoppers willing to pay for memberships thanks to a reputation of delivering everything from food products to electronics, at par with those from bigger brands, at affordable prices. But it also has a habit of removing popular items from its shelves out of the blue, which gets annoying for the customers. The retailer does this silently, but it is not always permanent. A lot of times, the items removed are brought back after a few months. However, this decision is often strategic in the case of seasonal products. But the most recent move to remove a product might not go down well with gamers.
According to a report in The Street, the product in question is the iconic Xbox by Microsoft. The report does not state which model of the console has been removed, but it does say that it is not available in Costco’s warehouse any longer. The company has not just removed it from its warehouse stores in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom. However, there was no official release by Costco confirming the same.
According to a report in CGM, an ex-IGN employee called up the higher-ups and asked about it. “Ex-IGN employee and current YouTuber Destin Legarie called Costco about the matter and was told by a representative, ‘We don’t have any plans going forward to carry an Xbox console.’ Legarie then further says it was a ‘business decision,'” the report stated.
Windows Central's Michael Hoglund also shared his experience while searching for an Xbox console on Costco’s website, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. “When searching for Xbox on the site within the United States or the United Kingdom, no results appear. When I checked for myself on the U.S. side, I was greeted with ‘We’re sorry. We were not able to find a match.’ Welp, that sucks. As someone who already owns a few Xbox consoles and generally buys digital content, I would buy Xbox currency cards on a regular basis at Costco,” they wrote.
One of the big reasons for this could be the fact that the price of an Xbox console has gone up. The Windows Central report also states that Microsoft hiked the prices of Xbox consoles in October this year to a whopping $649.99. Anyone who understands Costco’s business model knows that it only keeps items on their shelves if it feels their customer base would be able to afford them.
A big chunk of their revenue comes from their membership plans, and as a result, the business can afford to run a loss on a few products. An Xbox console, unfortunately, is not such an item. At such a high price, it is doubtful how many would be willing to invest in one, given the popularity of its competitors. So, it is not all that surprising to see that Cistco has chosen to discontinue selling it.
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