When people bring up the warehouse chain Costco, they usually speak fondly of their discount goods and their famed $1.50 hot dog and soda combo—which remains stable even as grocery prices have soared. But for some, the true appeal of Costco lies in the bulk packages of store-exclusive and brand-name snacks.
Recently, consumer advice site CouponBirds sifted through Costco’s own customer reviews to discover the snack products shoppers prefer. The methodology was simple: The more five-star reviews a snack has, the more popular it is with buyers.
Here’s what they discovered:
As the above graphic illustrates, Costco shoppers have a thing for chocolate. Their favorite was Utah Truffles dark chocolate truffles with sea salt, a sweet and salty concoction that has 92 percent of buyers leaving a perfect review. Costco describes the snack as consisting of “a delectable chocolate shell that enrobes a melt-away center that is finished with a hint of sea salt.” (A chocolate truffle contains no actual truffles, the flavorful fungus that accentuates some dishes, but adopted the name owing to a similar spherical shape.)
Godiva dark chocolate ganache hearts came in a strong second, with just under 92 percent of purchasers finding it flawless. The Belgian chocolate has a cream filling and comes in the shape of a heart.
Overall, 15 of the 50 top snacks are Kirkland Signature products, Costco’s own in-house brand. Interestingly, no potato chips cracked the list, and only two crackers (Premium saltines and Honey Maid graham crackers) appear. CouponBirds did isolate chips for their own ranking, however. The result? Cheetos reviews had 86 percent at five stars. Doritos ran a close second at 84.72 percent.
Not everyone is enamored with these snacks. Consumers left 10 one-star reviews for the Utah Truffles, though the complaints seemed mostly logistical in nature (i.e. melted product during shipping).
CouponBirds previously ran down a list of the most popular Costco products by state. Reese’s dipped animal crackers ranked No.1 in three states—Kentucky, Montana, and Nebraska—making it the top snack item.