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Dear Costco Administrator, January 15, 2018
Hello, I wanted to tell you whom I am, I am an executive member that has raised my kids shopping at Costco. I really enjoy shopping there even if I pay more just now and then. My complaint is about first your company doubling the price of the Berry smoothie which my two grandsons love and months later doubling the Mocha freeze by calling it a cold brew. To be frank, the other mocha freeze tasted as good and maybe slightly better and was 100 percent less. I at first excepted the Berry smoothie increase but thought a 100 percent double increase was too much. I still went in line, got pizzas, berry smoothies and the $1.50 mocha freeze one for me and one for my daughter. Now I have not once gone in the food court line because I feel bad just looking at the menu, it makes me feel like not shopping at Costco anymore or very lightly in comparison to shopping there a lot and purchasing a lot. I also am getting very disappointing remarks from my daughter about this mocha freeze increase. It appears that the bottom line in the Costco company is first now and customers second, I use to feel it was at least equal. It made your company Costco special that there was at least one special item, mainly your mocha freeze that was fairly prices. Now I might as well go to Starbucks or simply brew my own coffee at home. Today I felt sad that I brought my own jug of coffee into the store, I only bought four items, a near first for me. It just is not the same. Please reconsider for psychological reasons to readjust your drink prices, mainly the Mocha Freeze weather it is cold brewed or now, seems like just a reason to justify the 100 percent inflation increase on this, at least also offer the original mocha freeze at $150.00 It will make people feel better, spend more and your company will make more money. Also after that consider reducing the berry smoothie to at least $1.75, $2.99 from $150.00. It feels like I don't matter anymore, therefore I shopped at Walmart today instead of Costco. It is true some people shopped at Costco for your $150.00 mocha freeze, it meant a lot to my family. Seattle is a much more expensive area therefore your testing the Mocha Freeze increase to double to $2.99 passed but in Arizona not a good idea! Salaries are one third or even less then in Seattle. Also I feel insulted about the coffee machine, ugg, the coffee tastes bad and has no sugar free options. Until I see the mocha freeze going back to a reasonable price I will do very limited shopping at the store, not for revenge or anything like that it is because I feel sad when I look at the menu and see the mocha freeze now a cold brew, when both were cold, at a 100 percent mark up Too much too quick. My Best Regards, , From a longtime Costco Customer and Fan
San Diego feels the same way
Despite errors in this member's letter, I agree. I was very disappointed with the price increases (now not much cheaper than a specialty shop). I have been buying mocha freezes many times a week (often getting multiples and freezing them at home) for years. I guess I won't be coming in very often anymore.
I agree with the above letter.
I loved the mocha freeze at $1.50, and I would often stop in and stand in that stupid long line just to get one and do some shopping.
It might seem crazy, but there is nothing in the food court for me now, because the current hot dog is GARBAGE and the Polish is gone, and now the Mocha Freeze, so I just don't stop in as often.
The psychological aspect is true, when I thought I was getting a good deal on that stupid drink, even with the HORRIBLE long lines, it made me want to stop by. Now I'm so pissed off I don't even feel like going to Costco. I know it might seem petty, but it's CRAZY to DOUBLE the price of an item overnight and not expect people to get pissed. Like the above customer stated, I might as well just go to Starbucks and get cheated buying three dollar drinks.
The Polish and the Mocha Freeze were an intelligent loss leader, and I'm willing to bet that Costco will actually lose revenue doing this kind of stupid shenanigans.
The polish dog, and the latte freeze were 2 of my favorite things at Costco. Not anymore! Remember that we pay $10 a month just for the privilege of shopping there. It was nice to feel like they were giving something back. Corporate bean counters win again. Screw them!
The problem was the old Freeze was such a hit people were buying 10 at a time and freezing them before their next visit to Costco. Costco just capitalized on there popularity. I seen the 100 percent price increase today so did not buy. If more people follow this then the price will come back down. Costco policy in the past was a small increase over their cost to justify the membership fee. Stop buying and let Costco know you are not happy with the price increase. Also I have read the new Freeze that is 3 dollars is not better than the old one that was half the price.
I'm very disappointed as well. I could see a slight price increase, but double the price? I liked the old one better.
I agree with Alexander Solzhenitsyn above. The old Mocha Freeze was a loss leader that brought me into CostCo just to enjoy, of course while I was there I would buy some toilet paper and whatever else we needed.
I live in Rockford, just north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I need to pass by two Sams Clubs before I get to the nearest CostCo. I also have a membership to Sams because it is 1/2 the price of CostCo, however the food court items are awful at Sams.
So now my positive connection to CostCo, the Mocha Freeze and polish hotdog are not gone. There is a very real chance I will not just go to Sams for that toilet paper and other items and stop across the street at a McDonalds to get a Mocha Frappe for $2.50 and save myself about 20 miles of travel and traffic.
This is a short sighted decision by Costco that will in the end cost you sales and memberships.
Andrew Erlewein
Yes, agreed, the cost increase was a bit sour to me. What was even worse was the taste of the new product. The new mocha freeze tastes TERRIBLE! I would grumble about the price increase but still get the old one. Now I just boycott the product altogether. I feel the obligation to let each warehouse I visit know how I feel by filling out those comment cards each time I'm there.
Ditto here.
I haven’t had a Mocha freeze in months. I used to get them frequently. I got one today and was shocked at the price increase and also did not care for the stronger flavor. No more for me either, especially at that price.
Shocked and disappointed. It was my treat I looked forward to but at that price, I will not be buying it anymore. I thought Costco was better than this.
Even more disappointing than the cost is the amount of caffeine in the new drink - I didn’t sleep all night after having it!
I too was very dismayed and disappointed to see the price double. It was a great deal and I would have understood an increase to $2 or something close to that, but double!? I agree with the other posts-the flavor is not as good and the caffeine content is too high. I always looked forward to getting a Mocha Freeze after shopping, but now it will only be once in a while and only if early in the day.
I feel exactly the same as those who wrote before me. It ruined my day when I realized the change in price and flavor at our Spokane, WA store. I knew they had previously destroyed the berry smoothie so when I asked at the food court about the mocha freeze price increase when she rung me up ... she told me they "upgraded" it. I replied "Oh no!" in horror. Indeed they did ruin the taste (again) and I haven't had one since that day and definitely make fewer trips to Costco now. This used to be an affordable treat for me (and my daughter used to love the berry one). I understand a small change in price, but why ruin the product while you're doubling the price?
I've been a member at the Medford, OR Costco since they opened around 1990, and am an Executive Member. Last November, they moved to a bigger store in Central Point; but I'll be shopping there much less often now. It's not because the new store is less convenient to get to (which it is) and more difficult to get in and out (which it is). No, it's the same reason the previous reviewers stated so well : Some genius in upper management thought increasing the price of my favorite Costco treat, the Mocha Freeze, by 113 % (the Medford price was $1.40) would be a smart move and maybe the members wouldn't notice or care! Whoever made that decision doesn't know the typical Costco member very well, do they? Maybe that person formerly worked at Starbucks. Here's what Costco management should do now : swallow your pride and bring back the $1.40 Mocha Freeze, apologize to your otherwise very loyal customers, and demote the person who made that myopic decision. Or send him or her back to Starbucks !
I was shocked by the price increase here in Utah, too. And it tasted a little different. I felt the caffeine hit too hard and it made me feel jittery all day. Used to be my favorite Saturday treat.
I was so disappointed today to see the price increase of the latte freeze at the Costco food court. It was shocking to see a 100% price change. I shop regularly at Costco and without failure, I purchase a mocha freeze on my way out, but will no longer do so. May as well go to Starbucks. I wish Costco would reconsider decrease in the price back to the original. Furthermore, this last visit to Costco was a complete disappointment as far as inside the store. Some baby clothes I bought were packed in the same box with meat and the blood leaked everywhere on to the new clothes and also a block of cheese I bought was not packed at all. I paid for an item and when I got home it was not in the box. Costco is going downhill quickly. So sad!
This is the fourth place I have complained concerning this issue. I agree with all the comments above. My husband I shop at Costco half the amount we used to before they dropped the old mocha and latte freeze. It is a psychological thing but that doesn’t change the reality of our shopping less because we don’t get our tasty, inexpensive treat at the end of our trip. Someone above called it exactly right-someone at Costco doesn’t understand their base to have made this change.