Costco customers fume over key change to $4.99 rotisserie chicken: Hated everything about it

Fans of Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken are taking to social media to gripe about the new plastic bag wrapping that has replaced the old plastic containers that shoppers have been accustomed to over the years — claiming that it’s leaking oily grease.In March, Costco started using cost-conscious and environmentally friendly plastic bags instead of the hard plastic containers that were used to package the rotisserie chickens — one of the warehouse store’s more popular items despite recent complaints that it tasted like chemicals.Costco said the change would reduce plastic use by 75% and its use of resin by 17 million pounds.The company said the new wrapping also allows it to ship more chickens per truck delivery — resulting in 1,000 fewer trucks on the road every year.Judging by anecdotal testimonials online, Costco is gradually introducing the new plastic bag wrappings while it uses up the remaining inventory of the hard plastic shell containers.Despite soaring inflation, the company has kept the price of the rotisserie chicken steady at $4.99 per piece — a policy consistent with its decision to maintain its popular $1.50 hot dog and soda combination.But Costco’s attempt to save money by doing away with the hard plastic containers is causing unwanted consequences.“These new bags leak!!” a Costco customer wrote on Reddit earlier this month.

Another Redditor complained that “chicken juice spilled all over the trunk of our car.”The Reddit post included a photo of the wrapped chicken which is marketed under the Kirkland Signature brand — Costco’s in-house producer of goods.“Yes, that is true,” another Reddit user wrote in agreement, adding: “You need to move the chicken to another container when you get home.”Another commenter on Reddit recounted their own difficulty, writing: “I recently grabbed two chickens in the bag for the first time.Hated everything about it.”The Reddit user recalled that the bag was “slick with juice o...