Costco cuts Kirkland prices on wings, almonds, golf balls, sheets

Costco is using selective Kirkland Signature price cuts as a traffic lever, not just a consumer perk. The warehouse chain said the markdowns were part of its plan to lower prices first and raise them last, a message that matters most to the people who will feel the demand surge first: front-end teams, stockers, forklift operators and department workers trying to keep familiar staple items on hand.

The clearest examples came from chief financial officer Gary Millerchip on Costco’s fiscal third-quarter earnings call held Thursday, May 28, 2026. Kirkland Signature Crispy Wings fell from $16.99 to $14.99, Milk Chocolate Almonds from $19.99 to $18.99, Golf Balls from $32.99 to $29.99 and King Size Sheets from $89.99 to $79.99. Those are the kinds of price moves that can pull members straight to high-velocity endcaps and seasonal pallets, especially when shoppers are already watching every receipt.

Costco said the cuts were part of its broader member-value strategy across North America, including Canada. The company did not say whether the reductions were temporary or permanent, and it has not released a full list of affected items. That uncertainty is part of the operational story for warehouse workers: when members hear about lower Kirkland prices, they do not ask about corporate strategy, they ask whether the item is in stock and whether the lower price will hold long enough to justify stocking up.

The price moves landed during a strong quarter for the Issaquah, Washington-based retailer. Net income rose 15% to $2.19 billion, while net sales climbed 11.6% to $69.2 billion. Comparable sales rose 9.8% overall, or 6.6% excluding gas inflation and foreign exchange. Membership fee income increased 10.7% to $1.37 billion, paid executive memberships reached 41.2 million, total paid members hit 82.9 million and the U.S. and Canada renewal rate reached 92.2%.

Costco also said gasoline volumes set company records during the quarter, a sign that price-sensitive behavior is spreading across the chain, from fuel lanes to the warehouse floor. Coverage of the call described the Kirkland reductions as one of Costco’s first notable rounds of price cuts in roughly a year, an unusual signal from a company that typically protects margin by widening traffic and keeping members coming back. For workers, that usually means more carts, more questions and tighter pressure on the most familiar items first.