In the world of bulk retailers, the Costco $5 rotisserie chicken is widely considered one of the best bangs for your buck. With an estimated 180 grams of protein per bird, the number of calories customers get per dollar is impressive, so it’s no wonder why there are folks out there who’ve dedicated entire lists of recipes wholly devoted to making Costco’s chicken the main ingredient.
So it doesn’t come as a surprise that the mere mention of any change to this offering might have folks up in arms. One rumored change has been documented by the OJM (@oldjewishmen) TikTok account in a video that features one rotisserie chicken lover’s disappointment with the chain’s decision to transition from its longtime plastic bin containers to bags.
“Boxes are better than bags,” a text overlay in the video reads as a man is recorded pushing a shopping cart packed with several of Costco’s rotisserie chicken offerings. A person off-camera asks the man pushing the cart, “Why do you have so many rotisserie chickens?”
The mustache-rocking elderly man gestures to the food in his shopping cart, explaining the abundance before him. “Because I gotta stock up…stock up on the containers. They’re changing to bags, for those of you that are unaware of it,” he cautions into the camera lens.
He continues, “And I don’t like the bag, so I’m stocking up on these containers to keep them. That’s why I’m buying so many.”
It appears many others are echoing the fears of this particular Costco shopper. Packaging Dive penned that some Costco locations will be placing its beloved Rotisserie Chickens inside plastic bags, akin to Walmart’s offerings. The outlet even snapped a photo of the new Rotisserie chicken packaging; it’s emblazoned with the familiar “Kirkland Signature” logo.
The bag is primarily black and there’s a see-through section that allows shoppers to get a peek at the cooked fowl they intend on purchasing. The top of the container sports a Ziploc-style mechanism, allowing customers to re-seal the packaging to maintain their chicken’s freshness.
And while the man featured in OJM’s video seems dead set against the idea of Costco putting his chicken inside a bag, one outlet, Yahoo! News reported that customers at locations that have already made the switch stated there’s been no difference in flavor. Some said they actually prefer the bags to the plastic bins as they are easier to carry.
“The bags are easier to carry, take up less space to store in the fridge and freezer, and are less likely to tip over and cause the juices to spill,” the outlet reported. “Customers have not noticed a change in the flavor and quality of chicken sold in plastic bags.”
That doesn’t mean that they haven’t found some cons to them, however, as Yahoo also listed some common complaints from customers who’ve gone from bin to bag: “The bags make it more difficult for customers to see the whole chicken inside and pick out the best—this is arguably half the fun of buying a Costco rotisserie chicken. Also, the bags are not vented, trapping condensation inside and making the skin and bottom of the chicken soggy. Some customers dislike that the handle and zip closure get greasy when pulling the chicken out of the bag.”
@oldjewishmen Get them while you still can
♬ original sound – OJM
If you’re wondering when your Costco store will begin its great Chicken Bag Transition, Yahoo also states that employees from the chain in Virginia, New Jersey, and California have all said the jump will be made in April 2024.
While some customers may be happy with the jump to the bags, other TikTokers noted potential issues with the new chicken carrier mechanism. Another viral clip uploaded by user @rammi925 sparked a conversation about the ease with which deli workers could place cooked chickens inside of the bins, compared to the bags.
@rammi925 Only Costco employees will understand 😂 #costco #rotisseriechicken ##ServiceDeli ♬ original sound – Rammi
Commenters claimed that many of the bags were covered in chicken grease. Some even said they have seen workers struggle to place them in the new containers, whereas before they would plop them in the plastic and seal them up quickly.
“It’s painful watching them put them in the bags. they were so quick with them before,” one wrote.
Another said that from a shopper’s perspective, they’d prefer a container for a very specific user case scenario: “But when I grab a cold piece of chicken at 3 am it won’t be as convenient!!!”
“The grease is all over the outside of the bags,” someone else wrote, while someone else enjoyed the multi-purpose usage of the chicken containers: “Me using the container as a meal prep container.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to both Costco and @oldjewishmen via email, as well as to @rammi925 via TikTok comment.
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