New YorkCNN — Costco’s new chief financial officer has a reassuring message for inflation-weary customers: don’t worry about the price of the $1.50 hot dog-soda combo.
“To clear up some recent media speculation, I also want to confirm the $1.50 hot dog price is safe,” Costco CFO Gary Millerchip said on an earnings call with analysts Thursday.
It was Millerchip’s first earnings call with analysts since taking over for Richard Galanti, Costco’s colorful finance chief of nearly four decades and the longest-serving CFO of a major US public company.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/31/food/costco-hot-dog-price/index.html
Costco seems pretty committed to $1.50.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2022/09/26/costco-hot-dog-soda-combo-price/8118306001/
the price is sticky and a marquee deal. the soda costs nothing and hotdogs cost pennies. $1.50 is still way way more expensive than buying hotdogs in bulk, so nobody's gonna be pulling up and carting off hotdogs 100 at a time even if the cost of meat doubles. They've raised the price on Chicken Bakes, and I expect them to raise the price on pizza ($2/slice $10/pie is a screaming deal now) but I expect the hotdog to stick.
@Adam the catch is labor (wages, which are fairly high at costco) and prep costs such as condiments, fuel, napkins, etc. they also have these at an efficient rate, but I certainly don't expect them to get lower. buying a pack of hot dogs out of the fridge puts those costs on the consumer. still, Costco has quite a few loss leaders ($5 whole chicken f. ex.) so it's a tough question to call.