What Green Price Tags Mean At Costco

It's no secret why Costco is the third largest retailer in the United States – where else can you get a $1.50 hotdog meal and an 80-inch flat screen TV in the same trip? However, not everything is a great deal at the warehouse juggernaut, so if you're going to pay for a membership, you might as well learn the secret language of Costco's price tag codes. There's a lot of info hidden in plain sight on every item tag, including if goods are on sale, a manager's special, or about to be discontinued. One label that's pretty easy to understand is green price tags.

Everything with a green price sticker at Costco is an organic product. The chain sells quite a lot of organic foods and drinks, both under its Kirkland Signature house brand and from other companies. If eating organic is important to you, it's good to know how easy it is to spot suitable items in the store, without having to pick up the product and read the label. However, not all shoppers might spot these special tags at their local warehouse.

What does the organic label on your milk or other goods really mean? All organic foods in the U.S. must follow the USDA's federal guidelines, which dictate growing practices, soil quality, animal testing, and more. When browsing the aisles of your nearest Costco, those green tags instantly tell you which goods are held to a higher level of scrutiny — but not every store uses colored tags, and some items might also slip through the green tag system. Always make sure to look for the word "organic" on the product itself if you're not sure.

If you're not already hip to the rest of Costco's price tag language, there's a lot more useful information to know. For instance, any tag that ends in ".97" means that an item has been marked down as a manager's special, and prices that end in ".00" or ".88" mean the goods are on sale in addition to a markdown. And if you ever see a dreaded asterisk printed on a price tag, be sure to grab that item while you can. It's destined for the list of discontinued Costco foods, alongside Kirkland-brand chocolate chips, turkey burgers, and the much-missed food court Polish hot dogs. Once you crack the price tag code, you'll never miss a sale — or an organic item — again!