5 Things: Costco makes a big switch5 Things: Costco makes a big switch

No Pepsi, Coke: You do not want to be on Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal’s hit list. Sinegal was the one who said, “If you raise [the price] of the effing hot dog, I will kill you.” Costco execs have been able to avoid that hit list for a while now, as the hot dog combo, which includes a soft drink, has stayed at $1.50. However, preserving that price point has taken some tinkering elsewhere. The warehouse retailer announced it was switching soda brands in its food court from Pepsi to Coke, which will accompany that cult classic hot dog in the combo. Coke was the OG soda for Costco when it all began until 2013 when the switch was made to Pepsi. This summer, it’s going back to Coke, which means the brand will also be found on all the cups, straws, and other products in the food court area. Costco raises prices in other areas to keep the hot dog combo at $1.50, so maybe Coke came through with a sweet deal to make the whole frankfurter cost journey a little easier? It’s a pretty big deal as about 150 million of the hot dog-soda combos were sold last year alone. That’s a lot of burping power. —Bill Wilson

TJ’s doles out the awards: Trader Joe’s, beloved for its creative private-label products, vast frozen and snack sections, and cashiers who validate your shopping choices at the register, has released its 16th-annual Customer Choice Awards, voted on by their fiercely loyal customers. For the fifth year in a row, the Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips (TJ’s take on Takis) topped the list, solidifying their reign as the undisputed king (or queen?) of the snack aisle and joining the coveted Product Hall of Fame. Beyond the chip champion, the awards showcased a diverse range of customer favorites, like the Mandarin Orange Chicken, Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, Soy Chorizo, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (which I can attest are amazing frozen). —Ally MacConchie

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Touch and go: It’s about to get easier to get gas from BJ’s Wholesale Club. The east coast warehouse retailer is adding Tap & Pay at all 186 of its BJ’s Gas locations, meaning BJ’s members can pay for their gas using the tap function of their credit or debit card or with digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. BJ’s One Mastercard cardholders will now also receive up to 15 cents off per gallon when they use their cards. Convenience is king and this move aligns. —Chloe Riley

Oklahoma considers donkey milk: With the ongoing Senate confirmation hearings of raw milk advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services and the recent recall of raw milk in California, it might come as no surprise that milk has made it into the news again. But this time, the question under consideration is whether to throw good old-fashioned donkey milk into the equation. That’s the plan by Oklahoma state Sen. Shane Jett, who recently filed a bill in the Oklahoma Legislature to deregulate donkey milk across the state, according to the Heartland Signal. The proposal would strike language from state statute forbidding the sale of donkey milk and donkey milk products. So far, Jett hasn’t responded to requests for an interview from the radio station, but it appears that his proposal would limit the sale of donkey, and goat, milk to 100 gallons a month across the state. –Tim Inklebarger


Meet me at the Lidl pub: Supermarket chain Lidl has finally been given the OK to open an in-store pub in Northern Ireland, according to reports by the BBC and elsewhere. The owner of several other spots licensed to sell booze in Dundonald, County Down, outside Belfast had filed an appeal against the grocer, but a judge denied it. In 2020, Lidl received planning approval to build a taproom on the site. According to Northern Ireland’s rules, no new licenses to sell alcohol can be issued unless an existing license is surrendered. –Heather Lalley

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