Costco Sold a Staggering Number of Rotisserie Chickens & Hot Dog Combos In 2023
Costco is no stranger to massive fanfare around its popular grocery items, from the much-hyped bakery finds to the scores of tempting snacks. But the famous $4.99 rotisserie chicken in the deli and $1.50 hot dog combo in the food court are two offerings that remain persistently popular at the warehouse club—and members gobbled up a staggering number of both in 2023.
At Costco's highly anticipated annual shareholders meeting on Jan. 18, CEO Ron Vachris said that Costco's service deli had a "very strong year." He revealed that the department sold a whopping 137 million rotisserie chickens globally in 2023. That's a sizable 20 million increase from the 117 million rotisserie chickens it cranked out in 2022.
Costco's sales for its hot dog combo in 2023 were far from shabby as well. Vachris said that the warehouse club sold a little under 200 million of the combos throughout the year.
That's far more than the 156 million hot dog combos the company sold in 2022, but Costco wants the popular food court item to perform ever better in 2024. Vachris said that Costco is aiming to sell 200 million combos in 2024, adding, "we're all going to work hard" to meet that goal.
These statistics only reiterate how indispensable the rotisserie chicken and hot dog combo have become among Costco's grocery offerings.
Members aren't shy about sharing their adoration for the rotisserie chickens and say the price makes them an "amazing deal." For just $4.99, Costco shoppers have access to a fresh and hot fully-cooked chicken, which can be eaten as is or repurposed in other recipes. Members have come up with tons of creative and tasty uses for the roasted birds, like turning them into chicken salad or adding the meat to fried rice, tacos, casseroles, and soups.
"It's amazing how many different meals you can make using a $5 chicken," a shopper noted on Reddit in 2023.
If you needed more proof of the rotisserie chicken's popularity, look no further than a viral video from last year where shoppers converged on a fresh cart of birds and cleaned it out in mere seconds.
The $1.50 hot dog combo is beloved among shoppers for many of the same reasons as the rotisserie chicken. They love the taste and the ability to grab a meal for mere pocket change, especially during a time when restaurant and grocery prices have become so elevated.
"Sometimes I go [to Costco] for lunch just cause the hot dog is so good and it's economical in these inflated times," a shopper noted on Reddit a few months ago.
If Costco's increased sales of both items in 2023 are any indication, the rotisserie chicken and hot dog combo aren't in danger of losing their immense popularity anytime soon.
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