A furious Costco shopper claimed their holiday staple – the Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark – only had ‘half the thickness’ that previous iterations of the cookie had.
The shopper known as @infinitely.balanced on TikTok shared her frustration about the Peppermint Bark in a video on December 16.
‘This is not my first rodeo buying Peppermint Bark… This is not like their other Peppermint Bark but this s*** was still $15,’ the TikToker claimed.
‘I love yall and i like these are thin but these shouldn’t be the same price as the other peppermint bark yall have had,’ she wrote in the video description.
The TikTok user also made clear in her video that shrinkflation has been ‘p***ing her off.’
The Costco customer showed off the Peppermint Bark package while claiming she could never break the treat in half until this year.
The shopper’s video went viral after she posted it on TikTok, and it currently has more than six million views and counting.
A frustrated TikTok user known as @infinitely.balanced claimed Costco’s Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark was not thick this year
The TikTok user claimed she purchased a Peppermint Bark item for $15 and believed it should’ve been $8 instead
Costco brought back the Peppermint Bark treats in its US and Canada locations weeks before Thanksgiving this year.
One shopper claimed the treat was ‘the best’ and that it was a product ‘so soft’ that could melt in someone’s mouth in an October 28 video.
The white and dark chocolate treat topped with peppermint candy returned to Costco earlier than usual this year.
The seasonal treat is not gluten-free, and it contains wheat, soy and milk, according to its nutritional facts.
Although @infinitely.balanced claimed she purchased the item for $15, there have been some 21-ounce containers available to buy at stores for $9.99, according to Allreceipes.
The TikToker insisted the cost needed to be changed on the Peppermint Bark to a price less than $9.99.
‘It’s delicious but this should be like $8 not $15,’ @infinitely.balanced stated in her video.
Several TikTok users have given their opinions about the cost, and one person claimed the peppermint treat was $9.99 in all stores three years ago.
Costco began offering its Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark in its US and Canada locations before Thanksgiving
At least three commenters claimed they worked in a Costco bakery section and explained potential reasons behind the price hike.
‘I’m a Costco bakery employee – it’s the exact same bark as years previous but the reason it’s so expensive this year is because the price of cocoa is crazy high!’ a person wrote.
A few commenters also believed shrinkflation may have been the cause of the potential Peppermint Bark shrinkage.
‘Did some perusing and found that in 2020-2023 it was $9.99 and the container said 624g the container was bigger! This container is 595 g so shrinkflation plus inflation,’ a shopper wrote.
Another person commented: ‘The containers were taller and more square. That one is more expensive and smaller.’
Others have advised the TikToker to make the Peppermint Bark from scratch to save money or purchase a similar product from Trader Joe’s.
The Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark was not the only seasonal item Costco brought back before Christmas.
Costco began offering multiple seasonal items shortly after increasing its membership fees for the first time in seven years
Shoppers rushed to Costco before Thanksgiving to purchase a 14-pound Noel Consorcio Spanish serrano ham.
The ham has been a popular product during Costco’s holiday season for years, and it’s worth $99 in most nationwide locations.
The fan-favorite ham product was worth about $119.99 online before it sold out.
The seasonal items were released months after Costco increased its membership fees in the US and Canada for the first time in seven years.
Costco’s standard membership went from $60 to $65 a year while its Executive level offer increased by $10, making its yearly cost $130.
Despite the membership fee hike applied to shoppers in September 2024, its net sales from the chain’s first quarter earnings ending on November 24 indicated they increased by 7.5 percent to $60.99 billion compared to this time last year.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Costco for comment about the TikToker’s Peppermint Bark claims.
