Tempted to Buy a New Costco Product? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions First

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Costco adds new products to its lineup all the time. Read on to see what questions you should run through before buying one. 

If you’ve ever roamed the Costco aisles before, you may be aware that part of the fun of the shopping experience is coming across new products. Like other retailers, Costco is known to introduce new products into its mix, from groceries to apparel to toys. And seeing new things on the shelves might tempt you to try something new — particularly in the food department.

In many cases, there’s nothing wrong with branching out and trying something new. But before you do, you may want to run through these questions.

1. Can I afford it?

Buying a new snack at a regular supermarket might mean spending an extra $3. Buying a new snack at Costco might mean spending an extra $10 or $15 because you’re generally picking up a bulk pack of it. And that’s a larger outlay at a time when grocery prices are still up 3.6% on an annual basis, according to the Consumer Price Index.

If money has been tight in your household, you may want to consider holding off on trying new products at Costco that aren’t necessities for your family. You wouldn’t want an extra $10 charge here or $15 charge there to be the thing that makes it so you can’t pay off your credit card bill in full.

2. Have I tried it first?

Many of the new products you may be tempted to buy at Costco are likely to be of the food variety. But when you’re talking about a food item you’ve never tried before, buying in bulk can be a risky move.

It’s one thing to buy a small box of a new cereal at your local supermarket and try it out. If you don’t like it at all, you’re potentially wasting six or eight servings. But if you buy a new cereal at Costco that you wind up hating, you’re potentially talking about dumping 24 servings. That’s a lot of food waste — and a lot of wasted money.

The nice thing about Costco is that the store commonly samples new items. But it doesn’t sample everything on its shelves, so if you don’t get a chance to try a new food item via a free sample, you may want to buy it in a smaller size at your local supermarket first.

3. Will I use it up before it goes bad?

If you’re buying new socks or a new game for your child at Costco, then clearly you don’t have to worry about an expiration date. But when you’re buying a new food item at Costco, you should absolutely make sure you’ll be able to finish eating the item in question before it goes bad. Otherwise, you’ll be throwing your money away.

Let’s say you’re tempted to buy a bulk pack of spinach because it’s far cheaper per ounce at Costco than at the regular grocery store. If your family only normally eats spinach once a week, that may not be a good buy for you. And while you can tell yourself that you’ll force everyone in your household to eat spinach after making your bulk purchase, your kids might protest to the point where you give in.

Also keep in mind that even things like household cleaners have a limited shelf life. They may not expire the same way food does, but over time, they have the potential to lose their potency. So think about the products you use normally. If you polish your furniture very infrequently, you may not want to spring for a giant bottle of furniture cleaner.

If you don’t ever give new products a try, whether at Costco or another store, you won’t know if they’re a good fit for you. But there’s a particular risk in trying new things at Costco because of the size and hit to your personal finances. So a generally good bet may be to try a smaller version of the item you’re considering first, and then move forward with a bulk purchase if your initial purchase winds up working out well.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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