12 Costco Products That Shoppers Say Shrank Recently

Costco customers are not your typical shoppers. They’re often particularly cost-conscious and plan for bulk purchases — a necessity when you’re buying two yoked-together gallons of milk or five dozen eggs all stacked together.

Thus, Costco’s savvy shoppers may be more likely to notice when the size of a product shrinks but the price doesn’t — a practice known as shrinkflation. And over the past year or two, Costco shoppers have used social media to point out many products that they believe have decreased in size and value.

While we’re not able to confirm the prices for each item, the differing sizes have surely caught shoppers attention. Here are some of those products that Costco shoppers report have shrunk in size recently.

Kirkland Signature Organic Salsa

A sizable jar of tasty salsa is a party staple at our house. Costco shoppers on Reddit point out that Costco’s own Kirkland Signature Organic Salsa used to come in a 38-ounce plastic jar, but now comes in a 35-ounce glass jar. The official website still shows the 38-ounce jars, which are offered in a set of two jars for $11.49.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Ultimate

Keeping sensitive skin nourished and moist can be a real issue, and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream Ultimate is a personal-care staple for many with dry skin. Costco sells the cream in a two-pack. One Reddit user says the two jars used to each hold 20 ounces, but now one is a 20-ounce jar, and one is 16 ounces. Costco acknowledges the different sizes on its site, where the two jars normally sell as a set for $24.99.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

Another moisturizing cream is CeraVe, which Costco also sells in a two-jar pack. A Reddit user shared a photo of an old CeraVe jar, which clocked in at 539 grams, and one they purchased six months later. The newer jar looks as if it’s the same size as the older one, but is only 453 grams. Costco sells the two-pack for $28.99.

Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic shortages, shoppers all over have been careful not to run out of bathroom tissue. One Reddit user pointed out that the 30-roll packs used to say they had 425 sheets, while the new pack lists only 380 sheets per roll.

Another savvy shopper went so far as to weigh an old roll vs a new roll, pointing out that the new rolls have thicker sheets, which may mean there’s more product offered, despite fewer sheets per roll. Costco advertises the 30-roll pack, with its 380 sheets per roll, online for $23.49.

Arm & Hammer OxiClean Max detergent

Want to stock up on liquid laundry detergent? Costco shoppers on Reddit were debating what appears to be the shrinking weight of Arm & Hammer OxiClean Max detergent.

In a photo showing two large bottles, one Reddit user shows that a 250-ounce bottle seems to have been replaced with a 200-ounce bottle. The smaller bottle, however, brags that it can do 200 loads of laundry compared with 195 loads on the old bottle, and the new label notes that it is now “more concentrated.”

So if you’re careful with how you dole out the detergent, perhaps the difference is not so bad — but you may need to adjust the amount you usually use, and many people will likely not notice or do so. The 200-ounce bottle is selling on Costco online for $17.99.

Tide Pods

Tide Pods are a handy way to do laundry, since you just toss one into a laundry load, instead of pouring liquid or measuring out powder. But a Reddit user shared photos of two different bags of the pods online, showing that the weight of the individual bags seems to have changed. One bag of pods weighed 36 ounces, while the other, presumably newer bag, came in at 34 ounces.

It’s worth noting that the current product listing — they appear to be sold in boxes of four bags of pods — priced at $31.99 online, has them at 32 ounces each.

Kirkland Signature Premium Paper Towels

Kirkland Signature Premium Paper Towels make the list of the nine most popular Costco house brand products. They come in large packs of 12 individually wrapped rolls, selling online for $22.99. But one Reddit user pointed out that the rolls used to contain 160 sheets and now seem to hold only 140 per roll.

Other users chimed in on the square footage of each roll, noting that the 160 sheet roll measured 85 square feet, while the 140 sheet roll measured 74 square feet.

Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash

Body wash is another product that shoppers can easily stock up on. You always need more, and it doesn’t go bad on the shelf. One Reddit user pointed out that Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash, which is sold at Costco in a three-pack for $16.99, appears to have dropped from offering three 24-ounce bottles to three 23-ounce bottles.

Bounty Advanced Paper Towels

Costco is a favorite place for many to stock up on paper products, including paper towels. But one Reddit user noted that Bounty paper towels sold at Costco dropped from 107 2-ply sheets to 101 sheets. That might be only six sheets, but shoppers noticed. You can normally buy a pack of 12 rolls, each with 101 sheets, from Costco for $29.99.

Dixie 8.5-inch paper plates

Picnics and graduation parties are coming, and those are perfect opportunities for using paper plates. Costco sells them in giant stacks, so you’re always party-ready.

But one user said on Reddit that they used to buy a pack of 285 Dixie paper plates for the same price they now spend on a pack of just 240 plates. That plate stack now usually sells for $2.99.

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats

While I love to make Rice Krispies Treats at home, sometimes I run out of time to whip up even that simple recipe. And the individually wrapped ones are great for school lunches or gatherings with friends.

But one regular Costco shopper shared photos of two wrappers on Reddit, displaying that the Rice Krispies Treats Costco sells used to weigh in at 1.3 ounce apiece. Now, one treat is just 0.78 ounces. A 60-treat box sells for $15.99.

Heinz Ketchup

What modern North American household doesn’t have a stockpile of Heinz ketchup, especially as summer barbecues and parties loom? Yet one Canadian Costco shopper notes that the Heinz ketchup bottles sold in a two-pack now feature 1.25 liters (42.2 ounces) per bottle, while an older bottle held 1.5 liters (50.7 ounces). Since this is a Canadian item, we don’t have access to the price for this two-pack.