An Open Letter To Costco About Their Kirkland Brand Peanut Butter

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Dear Costco,

Towards the end of last year, you stopped carrying your Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter. As soon as I saw the asterisk on the price tag, I knew it was time to stock up.

Costco Peanut Butter

Looking for some delicious peanut butter recipes? I’ve got them!

We stocked up on your organic peanut butter and within a few months you began carrying a new, non-organic peanut butter. I was ok with that, and so were many others that I had spoken to about the peanut butter. We were just happy to have our two ingredient (peanuts and salt) peanut butter back.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I made my weekly Costco run and found none of your new peanut butter. I asked a nice gentleman where it was, and he assured me that this particular location was just out of it for now.

I did some research.

Awful news:

None of the Costco warehouses in Tucson carry the Kirkland brand peanut butter anymore. It has been discontinued.

Wonderful news:

I had found a few articles about the best natural peanut butter, and some of the brands mentioned had the same two ingredients as my beloved Kirkland brand peanut butter.

I found a replacement. Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Sea Salt is comparable to our favorite peanut butter. 

The problem? I shop at Costo weekly, not Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is nowhere near where I shop.

And?

When I bought 6 jars of peanut butter (plus one jar of peanut butter plus flax seed) at TJ’s yesterday, the cashier asked if I was making cookies. Because maybe other people don’t buy 6 jars of peanut butter at one time?

Peanut Butter Trader Joes

We eat peanut butter on everything – on waffles and pancakes, on bananas, in my spinach smoothies, on sandwiches, and on fruits and veggies like apples and carrots.

Am I using my blog to whine about your decision to not carry Kirkland brand peanut butter anymore?

Yes.

I’m sorry, but yes.

The other peanut butter choices in your store have too many ingredients, and taste completely bland. You have spoiled me with your awesome product, and now I am ruined.

I’d like to buy Kirkland peanut butter again.

In the big jars.

At Costco.

Please.

PleasePleasePleasePleaseWithABigCherryOnTop,

Your biggest fan and most enthusiastic customer,

Becca

———

Has a company ever discontinued your favorite product? Did you ever find a suitable replacement? 

63 Comments

  1. I love Krusteaz Oat Bran muffins. In fact they used to carry it at Costco. Our family bought it growing up. When I got a house of my own the only place I could find it in town was Basha’s. Then they stopped carrying it. Thankfully the Krusteaz website has a product locator. I found it, but the closest location was in CA. So on a trip I bought 6 boxes, and when that ran out, bought a 5 lb. box on Amazon. I loved those muffins.

    1. Crazy how we fall in love with stuff and then they take it away!

      And I love Amazon for things like that – they seem to have a lot that I can’t find in stores.

  2. I noticed the same thing, Becca and I’m also disappointed. The first time I saw the Organic PB at Costco I was excited because PB is on my “non-negotiable” list of things to buy Organic because peanuts grow underground, and theirs was affordable a tasted good. (I don’t buy everything Organic, but there’s a list of items that i will not buy unless they are Organic). Now that we are a family of 5, I could totally justify shopping at Costco on a weekly basis, but I don’t because they dont carry enough organic options for me…Boo.

    1. I agree, Leah – they don’t have many organic options. Every once in a while they get something, but not much seems to stay. I wonder why?

  3. Hi Becca. I’ve always liked Laura Scudders Peanut Butter, and they have an organic version of it. You can probably pick it up at Fry’s or Safeway. I don’t know how the price per ounce compares with the ones you’ve been getting, but I’m interested in knowing if you find out.

  4. For me it was Sam’s Club Dan T’s raspberry chipolte sauce … (they have no seeds – vs. all other brands I find that do have seeds .. and hubby does not like seeds) .. Well Sam’s Club has it intermittently at best… So I overpay and order it online if I need it…

  5. I was just at Costco yesterday and I think they had some of the Kirkland PB… you want I should send you some?

    And yes, I hate when a store stops making my favorite brand of things. I have not ever been able to find a replacement.

    1. You’re awesome, Jen. I think I’m good – I’m going to have to get used to being without it eventually! The TJ’s peanut butter is a good replacement, I just had to voice my … well, complain. I just had to complain.

      ;)

  6. I had the same problem with my local Cost Co, ( my problem was that they did not carry coffee creamer, mind you I live in Utah where the coffee drinkers are a minority) I talked to the manager about this and he suggested going to the web site, ordering it and having it shipped to your local store, I guess they will throw it on the truck and you can pick it up at customer service… you can try this.

  7. Due to peanut allergies I wouldn’t know what peanut butter and salt tastes like. It must be good I’m guessing. :)

    Growing up in Chicago we had Oscar-Mayer Summer Sausage in lunch meat form (not in the long link that you cut up for hors d’oeuvres), but ever since we left Chicago we can’t find it anywhere. I’m not sure if it’s discontinued but I sure miss the taste. A nice sandwich of summer sausage, white bread, mustard, and munster would be good about now.

    1. Isn’t that crazy, how we find one product and love it?

      I’ll look to see if I can find that here for you :)

  8. Hm. I bet there’s some sort of natural PB you can order on Amazon… :)

    Or, (somewhat to my surprise) it sounds pretty easy to make in a food processor! http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Homemade-Pantry-Staples-ebook/dp/B008VBYJBQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345497077&sr=1-3&keywords=mandi+ehman

    1. I thought about that! Do you know that the Fry’s in Sahuarita has a peanut butter maker in their natural section? I should try that!

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