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Costco, the American retail giant, has introduced a modification to its legendary $1.50 hot dog combo for the first time in over 40 years, as announced by Telemundo 51.
But there’s no need to panic, because it won't affect the customers; on the contrary, they will now be able to replace the traditional soda with a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water at no additional cost.
The change was reported on Wednesday by shoppers in states such as California, Nevada, and Virginia, although it is not confirmed whether the option is already available in all stores across the country.
For more than four decades, the combo has included a quarter-pound beef hot dog and a 20-ounce fountain soda with free refills, all for $1.50, a price that has remained unchanged since the product was introduced in 1984.
The soda option remains available for those who prefer it, so Costco did not remove any alternatives; rather, it added a new one.
Although the chain has not made an official announcement, several customers have shared photos of updated menus on social media showing the new bottled water option.
The adjustment comes at a time of heightened sensitivity to inflation and cases of "shrinkflation," when products maintain or increase their price but decrease in size or quantity. In this case, Costco did the opposite: they expanded the options without changing the price.
The stability of the price has been a central part of the company's identity. Co-founder Jim Sinegal is legendary for insisting that it should never be raised, and multiple executives have reiterated that commitment over the years.
In 2022, then CFO Richard Galanti promised that the price would remain "forever." His successor Gary Millerchip described it as "safe" in 2024, and the current CEO Ron Vachris has also reiterated that commitment.
The combo is also an unmatched sales phenomenon. According to data from the specialized site Delish regarding the annual sales of hot dogs, Costco sold over 200 million combos in 2023, nearly ten times more than all the hot dogs sold in MLB stadiums in a year, which total just 22 million.
In 2024, sales dropped to 124 million units, although this remains an extraordinary figure for a single food court product.
The beverage change is not the only recent update in Costco's food courts. In 2025, the chain announced the return of Coca-Cola products to its stores, abandoning Pepsi, which it had adopted since 2013 primarily to keep the combo price at $1.50.
Starting in 2024, Costco will also require a membership to purchase food in the dining area, even at locations with outdoor patios, a policy that reinforces the exclusive nature of the benefit for its members.
The chain has over 800 branches worldwide, of which at least 600 are in the United States.
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