An angry Costco shopper claimed that their holiday product — the Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark — had only “half the thickness” of previous versions of the cookie.
The shopper known as @infinitely.balanced on TikTok shared her frustration with the Peppermint Bark in a video on December 16.
“This isn’t my first rodeo buying Peppermint Bark… This isn’t like their other Peppermint Bark but this s*** was still $15,” the TikToker claimed.
“I love you guys and I like that these are thin, but these shouldn’t be the same price as the other peppermint bark y’all have had,” she wrote in the video description.
The TikTok user also made it clear in her video that the shrinkage is “finishing” her.
The Costco shopper showed off the Peppermint Bark package and claimed she wouldn’t be able to break the treat in half until this year.
The shopper’s video went viral after she posted it to TikTok and currently has more than six million views.
A frustrated TikTok user known as @infinitely.balanced claimed that Costco’s Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark wasn’t fat this year
The TikTok user claimed she bought a Peppermint Bark item for $15 and thought it should have been $8 instead
Costco brought back the Peppermint Bark treats to its US and Canadian locations weeks before Thanksgiving this year.
One customer claimed the treat was ‘the best’ and that it was a product ‘so soft’ it could melt in someone’s mouth on October 28. video.
The white and dark chocolate treat topped with peppermint candies returned to Costco earlier than usual this year.
The seasonal treat is not gluten-free and nutritionally contains wheat, soy and milk.
Although @infinitely.balanced claimed she purchased the item for $15, according to the stores, some 21-ounce containers are available for $9.99 in stores. All recipes.
The TikToker insisted that the cost for the Peppermint Bark should be changed to a price below $9.99.
“It’s lovely, but this should be $8 not $15,” @infinitely.balanced said in her video.
Several TikTok users have weighed in on the cost, with one person claiming that the peppermint treat cost $9.99 at all stores three years ago.
Costco began offering its Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark at its U.S. and Canadian locations before Thanksgiving
At least three commenters claimed they worked in a Costco bakery section and explained possible reasons behind the price increase.
“I’m a Costco bakery employee – it’s the exact same bark as previous years, but the reason it’s so expensive this year is because the price of cocoa is crazy high!” one person wrote.
A few commenters also felt that shrinkflation may have been the cause of the potential shrinkage of peppermint bark.
‘I did some searching and found it was $9.99 in 2020-2023 and the container said 624g, the container was bigger! This container weighs 595 grams, so shrinkage plus inflation,” wrote one customer.
Another person commented: ‘The containers were bigger and squarer. It is more expensive and smaller.’
Others have advised TikToker to make the Peppermint Bark from scratch to save money or buy a similar product at Trader Joe’s.
The Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark wasn’t the only seasonal item Costco brought out before Christmas.
Costco began offering multiple seasonal items shortly after raising its membership prices for the first time in seven years
Shoppers rushed to Costco before Thanksgiving to buy a 14-pound Noel Consorcio Spanish Serrano ham.
The ham has been a popular Costco holiday item for years and is worth $99 at most locations nationwide.
The fan-favorite ham product was worth about $119.99 online before it sold out.
The seasonal items were released months after Costco increased its membership fees in the U.S. and Canada for the first time in seven years.
Costco’s standard membership went from $60 to $65 per year, while the Executive level offering increased by $10, bringing the annual cost to $130.
Despite the increase in membership fees applied to shoppers in September 2024, net sales from the chain’s first quarter earnings, ending November 24, indicated they were up 7.5 percent to 60 $.99 billion compared to this time last year.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Costco for comment on the TikToker’s Peppermint Bark claims.