While Costco is known for offering cheaper prices to members, especially with oversized items you can't get at other retailers, products aren't always less expensive.
Grocery stores in Canada like Walmart along with stores that sell groceries like Dollarama actually have quite a few cheaper products.
Also, a lot of Costco Kirkland products aren't less expensive even though the Kirkland Signature brand is meant to ensure better value for members and have items at the lowest possible price.
That means it's not always worth it to shop at the wholesale retailer because you're not really getting a deal with some items.
Considering you have to pay for a Costco membership to be able to shop there, this might make think of buying certain products at grocery stores instead of the wholesaler.
Here are nine Costco products that aren't cheaper than grocery store items in Canada.
Maple syrup
Kirkland Signature maple syrup at Costco. Right: Maple Crest maple syrup at Walmart.
It costs $15.99 for a one-litre bottle of Kirkland Signature maple syrup at Costco.
While you probably expect Walmart to have cheaper prices just like Costco, you might not expect that the name-brand version of this maple syrup costs less.
The Maple Crest original maple syrup has a price tag of $15.97 for a one-litre bottle.
These products are nearly identical — literally, the bottles are the same except for the logos and the colour of the caps — so if you want to save money, Walmart is looking like the better option.
Aluminum foil
Alcan aluminum foil at Costco. Right: Alcan aluminum foil at Walmart.
Costco has an oversized roll of Alcan aluminum foil for $28.99 and you get 200 metres of foil.
That works out to $0.14 per metre of foil.
At Walmart, a regular-sized roll of Alcan aluminum foil costs $3.97 and you get 100 feet which is 30.5 metres.
That breaks down to $0.13 per metre of foil!
Extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil at Costco. Centre: Olive oil at Walmart. Right: Olive oil at Metro.
Costco's Kirkland Signature olive oil costs $32.99 for a two-litre bottle. That's $16.49 per litre and $1.64 per 100 millilitres.
You can get cheaper versions at Walmart and Metro grocery stores.
At Walmart, it costs $12.97 for a one-litre bottle of Great Value olive oil which is the retailer's house brand.
That's a cost breakdown of just $1.29 per 100 millilitre.
At Metro, you can get a three-litre bottle of Selection olive oil — the store's house brand — for $44.99.
That breaks down to $14.99 per litre and $1.49 per 100 millilitres, both of which are cheaper than Costco.
Even at Fortinos, which you'd expect to be more expensive since it's owned by Loblaw, name-brand Bertolli olive oil is the same price as the Kirkland Signature olive oil at Costco — $32.99 for a two-litre bottle.
Croissants
Costco croissants. Right: Croissants at a Metro grocery store.
Costco croissants have a price tag of $6.99 per pack and the packs usually come with 12 croissants in each.
You can find a pack of similar croissants at Metro grocery stores that cost $6.99 for a dozen as well.
So, you don't actually get a cheaper price at Costco since other retailers also offer oversized packs of croissants.
Honey
Bottles of honey at Costco. Right: Honey bottles at Dollarama.
Costco's Kirkland honey comes in a three-pack with bottles that are 750 grams each.
It costs $19.99 for those three bottles which works out to $0.88 per 100 grams.
At Dollarama, you can find a 375-gram bottle of honey — in that same bear shape like the Costco product — for $3.25.
That price breaks down to $0.86 per 100 grams.
You might think you're getting a better deal buying in bulk at Costco but you're not.
Even if you were to buy the same amount of honey at Dollarama that you get with the three-pack at Costco — six of the 375-gram bottles — it'd still be cheaper at $19.50!
Frozen berry mix
Kirkland Signature frozen berry mix at Costco. Right: Frozen berry mix at Walmart.
Costco has a pack of Kirkland Signature frozen berries — raspberries, blueberries and blackberries — that costs $16.99 for a two-kilogram bag.
That price breaks down to $0.84 per 100 grams.
You might think that's a score but you can actually find a cheaper version at Walmart.
Walmart has a Great Value pack of frozen berries with four kinds of fruit — raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries — that costs $4.44 for a 600-gram bag.
That works out to just $0.74 per 100 grams, 10 cents cheaper than the Costco Kirkland product.
Chocolate chip cookies
Costco Kirkland chocolate chip cookies. Right: Chips Ahoy mini chocolate chip cookies at Walmart.
Costco has a box of Kirkland Signature chocolate chip cookies that comes with 30 bags, each of which is 28 grams.
It costs $15.99 which works out to $0.53 per bag and $1.90 per 100 grams.
You can find a name-brand version for cheaper at Walmart!
There is a box of mini Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies at Walmart that comes with six bags, each of which is 30 grams.
It costs $2.98 for a box when regularly priced.
That breaks down to $0.49 per bag and $1.65 per 100 grams.
No matter which way the cookie crumbles, the name-brand item at Walmart is cheaper than the Costco Kirkland product.
Ground cinnamon
Kirkland Signature ground cinnamon at Costco. Right: No name ground cinnamon at Fortinos.
You can get a 303-gram tub of Kirkland Signature ground cinnamon for $6.99 at Costco.
That's a price breakdown of $2.30 per 100 grams.
It's cheaper to get house-brand ground cinnamon at Fortinos than it is at the wholesale retailer.
A 560-gram tub of no name ground cinnamon costs $8.99 at Fortinos.
That works out to $1.60 per 100 grams.
Marinara sauce
Kirkland marinara sauce at Costco. Centre: Marinara sauce at Fortinos. Right: Marinara sauce at Metro.
Even though Costco's oversized products are often cheaper because they're in bulk, it doesn't always work out that the price tag is less expensive than single items at grocery stores.
Kirkland Signature marinara sauce comes in a pack of three 860-millilitre jars at Costco.
It costs $17.99 for that three pack which breaks down to $5.99 per bottle and $0.69 per 100 millilitres.
At Fortinos, you can get a 650-millilitre jar of President's Choice marinara sauce for $4.49 which works out to $0.69 per 100 millilitres.
At Metro, you can get a 650-millilitre jar of Selection marinara sauce for just $3.99 when it's regularly priced.
That's a cost breakdown of just $0.61 per 100 millilitres.
So, the Costco product isn't cheaper than what's available at either of these grocery stores!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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