Popular Costco Dinner Item Looks Very Different After Polarizing Change

It's a go-to item for many members.

Shopping at Costco inspires a strange amount of devotion, with entire social media accounts dedicated to the chain's signature items. 

The brand's rotisserie chicken is particularly popular. For just $4.99, you can get a whole seasoned chicken for you and your family, making it a budget-friendly choice for customers with several mouths to feed. But a recent change to the chicken's packaging has sparked anger among some customers. 

For years, the rotisserie chicken was sold in a hard plastic container, but the company has since shifted to selling them in plastic bags. They've been rolling out at stores across the country for months, leading to mixed reactions from surprised visitors. It was a move the company made with the environment in mind. 

"You may have noticed a classic Costco item in a different container: Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken now comes in a bag," the company said in the latest edition of customer magazine Costco Connection. "Based on projected rotisserie chicken sales in 2024 in the U.S., the new packaging will save an estimated 17 million pounds of plastic every year. The bag also takes less space to transport; one pallet of the new bags is equivalent to five pallets of the old packaging, so Costco can remove 1,000 of its freight trucks from the road each year. The use of fewer transportation vehicles will eliminate over 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually."

While the change may be better for the planet and easier to transport with handles, some customers aren't please with the change. Many disgruntled members have taken to Reddit to air out their frustrations. 

"Got one yesterday from my local Costco. Was not impressed," one person wrote. "The other packaging was way better."

"There's just something unappealing about picking up a bagged chicken," another chimed in. 

"Hate them," one person stated plainly. "I'd rather pay more than deal with this nonsense."

The bagged chicken has made it south
by u/ApprehensiveDinner20 in Costco

Next time you're in your local store, check to see if the new packaging has made it to your location yet.