Costco Shoppers Don't Just Miss This Discontinued Kirkland Treat — They Miss The Container It Came In Too

There are several discontinued Costco grocery products we probably won't get back, unfortunately. It's simply the nature of shopping at the membership warehouse. A recently created Reddit post titled, "Costco heartbreaks — what is yours?" has drawn thousands of comments from shoppers reminiscing about the discontinued products they miss most. And because Costco sells many of its products in oversized, bulk packaging, shoppers often become just as attached to the containers as they do the food inside (if not more so). That was certainly the case for Kirkland Signature Organic Animal Crackers. Replying to another user mourning the snack's disappearance, one Redditor wrote, "That container was so huge and the kids loved them."

Once upon a time, Costco sold a 4-pound container of Kirkland Signature Organic Animal Crackers which earned a 4.6-star rating from more than 1,300 reviews. Many reviews from Costco shoppers praised the crackers for being organic and tasting better than competing brands while also appreciating the generous amount offered. Some shoppers mentioned reusing the container, but on social media the enormous container may have become more popular than the crackers themselves. One TikToker showed how the container was the perfect size for a 10-pound bag of bread flour, while a Facebook user shared how they transformed it into a holiday decoration by creating a snowy winter scene inside. The creator of a Reddit post from two years ago asked others how they repurposed their Costco containers, sharing that they used the animal cracker tub to store rice and lentils.

It's a bummer that both the 4 pounds of organic animal crackers and the ginormous container they came in are no longer available at Costco. If you're a fan of receiving a handy container as an added bonus when buying food at Costco, sadly a sturdy, reusable container filled with 4 pounds of food is no longer offered. Rest assured, there are still a handful of products sold in similar containers that hold around 3 pounds or slightly more.

Some of the highest-rated chocolate candies at Costco can be found in these containers, including Kirkland Signature Chocolate Raisins, Milk Chocolate M&M's, and Peanut M&M's as well as Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter Pretzels. Though not as large as the animal crackers container, the size of these containers has certainly found uses in my household, like for storing other snacks or baking ingredients I often buy in bulk, such as nuts, dried fruit, and the absolute best brand of chocolate chips. Speaking of nuts, Costco also sells 1- to 3-pound nut varieties in sturdy metal cans which, once emptied, the handymen in our lives certainly appreciate for storing hardware fasteners like washers, nails, nuts, and bolts.

If the fate of Kirkland Signature Organic Animal Crackers proves anything, it's that Costco shoppers should never take their favorite finds — or the unexpectedly useful containers they come in — for granted. After all, you never know when a warehouse staple will quietly disappear, taking its one-of-a-kind packaging with it.