Costco Sells More Hot Dogs Than All The Stadiums In This Major League
What are your favorite products to buy at Costco? Do you obsess over the Kirkland Signature Olive Oil? The high-quality, cult-favorite vodka? Do you, like me, occasionally stop by in hopes that they've brought back the original Costco berry smoothie recipe? For many shoppers, one item stands out, and it shouldn't come as a surprise to Costco fans. According to shareholder reports, the classic food court hot dog brings in massive sales. The retailer outsells another hot dog institution, Major League Baseball, by millions.
The $1.50 hot dog is a Costco classic. In 2023, the brand sold nearly 200 million hot dog and soda combos. Compare that to another Costco cult favorite, the $4.99 rotisserie chicken: Hot dog sales win out by a cool 63 million.
Compare those numbers to the dogs sold at Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums: For the past few years, baseball fans have consumed around 20 million hot dogs per season. That said, baseball's numbers are nothing to sneeze at. In 2024, Dodger Stadium sold about 2.5 million hot dogs. It's also worth noting that, unlike baseball, Costco doesn't have an off-season.
Costco's hot dogs are a better deal
Still, the hot dogs sold by MLB can't beat the siren call of Costco's food court. On average, you can expect to spend $5.99 for the cheapest hot dog at an MLB stadium. That's nearly four times the price of the retailer's dogs, which haven't risen in price for 40 years. Yes, that's right — Costco still sells hot dogs for the same price that it did in 1985. The price of the hot dog combo, if it accounted for inflation, would be very different.
A $5.99 hot dog won't break the bank. But the price tag doesn't include tickets, parking, or the other expenses that come with a trip to a major league game. Plus, some stadiums are steeper. For example, you can expect to pay $8.39 at an Oakland Athletics game. For that price, you could get two Costco hot dogs and an entire rotisserie chicken with change.
Admittedly, these numbers come from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, and Big Hot Dog isn't always transparent about its data. There's no word on Costco's most recent hot dog sales, either. While CEO Ron Vachris was hopeful that Costco would break its own record and surpass the 200 million mark in 2024, recent changes – like the food court's switch from Pepsi to Coke — might've had an impact on sales. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that minor changes sparked a strong reaction from Costco fans. But one thing's clear: It would take a lot more than a soft drink switch-up to bring Costco's hot dog sales down to MLB level.