Keep An Eye Out, Costco Might Be Downsizing Its Bakery Muffins

When buying sweet treats from Costco's bakery, shoppers usually expect a massively-sized creation. For instance, Costco once featured a massive dessert that nearly weighed 10 pounds and supposedly served a whopping 48 people. Costco muffins are also known for their substantial size, which is why a recent Reddit post has customers up in arms.

It's no secret that Costco has enacted a lot of changes in 2024, and one of these changes may be smaller muffins. A Redditor shared an image on the platform featuring two muffin tins. One was the massive size that shoppers know and love, and the other was significantly smaller and closer to the standard size of muffins sold in other stores. Upon seeing the image, some customers were a bit staggered. "Wait...they'll no longer make the giant muffins?" asked one commenter, to which another replied, "Costco didn't have any the last 3 times I went." A different commenter was quick to eulogize the massive muffins, somberly stating, "RIP OG muffins."

It's worth noting that there's been no official word from Costco affirming that the chain will be switching to a smaller muffin size. However, an Instagram post dedicated to the store's new butter pecan and lemon raspberry flavor of muffins does feature baked goods that appear slightly smaller than the mammoth muffins shoppers have become accustomed to. It's also worth considering that Costco isn't shy about downsizing products, as it's done so in the past.

It's part of a strategy known as shrinkflation, which enables retailers to manage cost increases without raising the prices of their products. While shoppers ultimately pay more for less with shrinkflation, they don't experience the sticker shock they would if they found that an item they frequently buy is now priced higher. Also, the sheer size of Costco muffins is a point of contention for many members. As stated by a shopper in the Reddit thread that announced the new smaller muffins, "I have always enjoyed the spectacle of the giant muffins, [but] I could never justify buying them." Just consider that Costco muffins have been converted into birthday smash cakes, which emphasizes their substantial size. There's no telling what the future might hold for Costco's coveted muffins, but here's hoping the quality doesn't decrease along with the size.