Tariffs Are Impacting Costco Prices. Here's What To Expect On Your Next Shopping Trip

Costco has gained a huge, loyal customer base for offering larger quantities of groceries and other items, for bargain prices. The concept is simple: the more product Costco orders, the better its price, and the savings are then passed down to its shoppers. But if you've been slightly — or enormously — shocked lately in the checkout line when you're presented with your total, you're not alone. It appears that the big box chain is noticeably feeling the pinch of the import tariffs introduced in April 2025.

One of the most noticeable changes that customers are seeing lies with the company's holiday product selection. If it appears smaller this year, that's because it is. There are less artificial trees available, as well as fewer toys, furniture, home decor, and hardware. The company has admitted that it certainly could have offered more items for the holiday season, but due to import costs, those items wouldn't have been priced in a way that Costco shoppers are used to — that is, at an excellent value. Instead, the warehouse retailer has filled its shelves with more health and beauty items, seasonal foods, and even mattresses, many of which are domestically made. And, although eagle-eyed shoppers may think the product adjustments are drastic, Costco chief financial officer, Gary Millerchip, told the Wall Street Journal that these changes have only affected just over 2% of the company's 3,800 items.

Of course, stopping at Costco for meal essentials and enormous boxes of snacks has become a weekly chore for millions, and is perhaps the most concerning category for shoppers. So, where do food prices stand in light of the tariffs? According to a report by Go Banking Rates, several items have gone up in price since April 2025: cherry tomatoes, fresh grapes, roasted seaweed, Kind Bars, and Kirkland lemonade have all seen increased prices since tariffs began. Some of these products are made in the U.S. (Kind Bars and lemonade) but likely utilize ingredients that come from overseas.

YouTube influencer Frugal Fit Mom posted a video in early December that covered rising Costco prices, as well. She noted that coffee beans and bags of mixed nuts (which performed well on our ranking of Costco nuts) have gone up significantly in price. She also suggested that certain items, like cucumbers and pre-chopped bags of salad, can be found cheaper elsewhere — just some of the Costco items you should always be price checking. It's worth noting that Costco has sued the Trump Administration over the tariffs. Should the Supreme Court find that the tariffs are illegal, the company would receive a refund of costs; though it's unclear what that could ultimately mean for shoppers as they navigate Costco's planned changes for 2026.