Costco sells $4 BILLION in just organic foods. In fact, according to an article I read, they have now surpassed Whole Foods–making them the largest seller of organics in the U.S. Because of their massive buying power, they are able to offer organic selections at a lower price than smaller chains.
They also were among the “pioneers” of large chain stores to start selling organics. Other large retailers, like Kroger, Walmart and Target have jumped on the organic bandwagon, but still aren’t keeping up with the list of organics that Costco sells {or the prices}.
So, with the organic movement now fully mainstream, here is what I am wondering: Do YOU shop at Costco? If you do, are you happy to pay a little more for organic, even when it’s the only choice available?
~Mavis
P.S. Free Samples Rule!!!
Connie Murray says
Love your blog, Mavis! Yes, I do shop at Costco and I do buy organic food. I also grow organic food (including keeping hens). I don’t mind paying a bit more for organic food and I think its a great investment in you and your family’s health. After all, you are what you eat!
Dana says
THRILLED to pay a little more for Organics and WISH it was the only option everywhere!
Costco is a great company. They really do their best to take care of their customers and their employees.
Amanda says
i have a Costco membership. Right now the most I get is meat and rice and the occasional salmon filet. I love getting blue berries from there too! 4.99 for a huge thing of them! That’s a lot of happy for my 19month old! I am thinking of trying to only shop there soon because we’re moving and it’ll be easy to buy in bulk once a month since we’ll be a lot further from a grocery store.
I love their organics too. Their chicken is really good and the price isn’t too high!
PattyB says
Amanda, watch for GMO Salmon. I read that Costco will be selling it. I’m going to hold off on the fish until I know that they won’t sell genetically modified salmon.
Starbeamer says
My Costco sells their organic produce mostly at or under the prices for regular produce at another store. I can get a bag of 9-10 organic zucchini and yellow squash for around $7 at costco while a single non-organic one is $1.50 at my local store.
Lisa says
We’ve had a membership since the stone age. We never bought everything we needed at Costco, it was mainly supplementing the regular grocery store. When we decided to switch to as much organic as we could find and eliminate anything with MSG, aspartame and HFCS, Costco made it very easy as they were bringing in more and more products we could use. So now we get about 10% at a natural food store (small co-op where we volunteer to get a discount) and 90% Costco. I rarely ever step into a grocery store. When I do, I’m amazed at the selection, but everything I pick up and read the label on, is something I wouldn’t want to feed to my family.
It’s hard to know if we’re saving money, since our kids are getting bigger and eat a whole lot more. But they are healthy so it’s worth it to us.
Butterflyweed says
I love the organics at Costco. I wish they had even more and also grass fed beef. The organic ground beef is still corn fed.
I LOATHE the free samples! Ends of aisles half blocked with the sample carts. Idiots abandoning carts and blocking aisles to get a sliver of English muffin with margarine and then stand there eating it with filthy hands that have touched the cart? No thank you.
PattyB says
My thoughts exactly! I have to be extra careful because I have 2 autoimmune diseases. I also hate (not at Costco) the bulk bins at Sprouts. I’ve seen little kids play with the food as if it is a sand pile. Where’s the mom? Good question.
Christy says
I know where the mom is, I saw her eating with the kid! They were eating dinner out of those bins. I like the way you don’t waste money for packaging but when it comes to sanatory …it makes me wonder. Because I saw a roach once around those bins!!
(I don’t go to buffets either)
Joe says
Q: What did people call organic food 100 years ago? A: Food. Not until after WWII was there this big reliance on chemicals for farming that we have today. Glad to see that we are waking up and going back to the natural ways of raising food and animals. My favorite method is the Back to Eden method. Check out the documentary, by the same name, on Vimeo for free
Diana says
I try to only buy organic food and grow as much as possible on our 1 1/2 acres. I buy what I can from Costco that is organic. I love the green signs they use to show what products are organic so I can skip by everything else. I recently was in the Bay area and they had all of the organic products in one section of the store. Shopping was so fast, I hope they make that change in all of their stores. As far as price it is much cheaper to eat healthy food than to pay for medications or have health problems.
Lisa says
They did that in my store when they were doing a special on organics for the month, so grouped them together. I was going crazy when I couldn’t find any of the items on my list in the regular aisles, how could they have been out of so many things this week?????….until I figured out that all the organics had been moved to one spot. Ugh. The next week, tho, yeah ,that was quick. But they have since moved them all back in the regular aisles.
Costco tends to move stuff often. I wish they’d leave a sign at the old location saying where they moved it. I’m always rolling thru the aisles looking for that one elusive item…
Mavis Butterfield says
I think that’s how they make so much money… They want people to go down ALL the aisles. 🙂
karen says
I shop at Costco, love them. Buy organics primarily, and I also grow my food and keep hens. I no longer grow green beans though, because I can get a huge bag of them (organic) for about $7. I then take the space I used to give them in the garden and plants other things I can’t get. I use Costco for bulk buying nuts, oils, some fish, wine, and some canned goods ( organic tomato paste, sauce, etc). I rarely buy pre-made food, so that doesn’t pull me in. Their organic frozen fruits are a bargain too….I use the blueberries to plop frozen on my dehydrator. Already blanched, great price, and done in no time flat. I second what someone else said about the food tasting areas, I can’t decide if I like them or not. Mostly because the way people act trying to get a little food, it’s so gross to watch them mow others out of the way to get something ‘free’.
auntie M says
I gave up my Costco membership years ago because of the wasteful packaging. I’d renew my membership if I could buy fresh organic food with minimal plastic and cardboard attached. What’s the selection like these days for fresh organic stuff?
pamela sheppard says
No…unfortunately I don’t have in my area.
maria lewis says
I don’t mind paying a little extra for it.
DENa H says
I love Costco’s organics! Especially their frozen corn. It’s so tasty! I try and grow what I can in my raised beds in the back yard but we have a city lot so it certainly is not the acre or more that I would like! Costco is my go to for frozen organic veggies.It certainly takes the pressure off if my garden doesn’t do as good as I hope! I think the prices are lower at Costco for their organics than non-organics at all the chain grocery stores.
P.s. I have baby bunnies nesting in one of my raised beds and don’t want to disturb them so I’m down a bed so Costco will probably be getting more of my business this year! My bunnies are so cute I really hope they don’t eat my beans!
Vy says
Costco is the only way I can afford to buy organic for my swarm of locusts … er … teenagers. I love Costco, their Kirkland brand is high quality and the default seems to be organic over not. I just have to keep determinedly to my list and not wander past the garden section too often.
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE the Kirkland brand too!
Nicole says
I live in Canada and I find when we visit Costco in the US versus at home they have way more organic products. I don’t find the prices substantially higher so I really don’t mind paying that little bit extra for organic.