A man known as the “Oracle of Costco” has predicted steep pricing changes for one of the most beloved products within the bulk retail chain.
In a new TikTok with over 2.3 million views as of Saturday, content page @oldjewishmen shares the Oracle’s urgent announcement about the coming price surge of the rotisserie chicken at Costco within the next six months.
“I’ve been called many things in my life, but now I’m called the Oracle of Costco,” user @oldjewishmen begins in the video, foreshadowing his coming revelation by holding a bag of hot rotisserie chicken, interestingly from Whole Foods, in his hand.
Like any good mystic, the Oracle of Costco first shares his record of accuracy.
“10 years ago, I predicted that they were going to get rid of the Polish hotdog, and they did,” he says.
“I also predicted that they were going to get rid of just [being] able to walk in the food court and get something to eat. And they stopped doing that too now,” he continues. “Now you have to show your Costco ID card.”
But the older man’s newest prediction, dubbed in the video’s text overlay as his “scariest prediction yet,” is bringing bad news to Costco rotisserie chicken lovers.
“Rotisserie chicken at Costco is going up to $6.99 within 12 months,” he says simply.
“I think it already is in Canada it’s going up to $6.99,” he says. “That’s my prediction, by the end of this year.”
As the car he’s in drives down the road, the Oracle of Costco doubles down.
“It’s gonna happen because I’ve never been wrong about these things. My track record is excellent. I love Costco, everything about it, Costco is my life,” he proclaims as the video ends.
@oldjewishmen Stock up on rotisserie chickens now…
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This isn’t the oh-so-wise Oracle of Costco’s first PSA about the retail chain’s rotisserie chicken. The Daily Dot recently reported on the company’s choice to switch the chicken’s packaging from plastic bins to plastic bags, a shift the Oracle of Costco shared strong opinions about in a TikTok as he “stocked up” on container rotisserie chicken in Costco and proclaimed he “didn’t like” the coming use of bags.
In the comments of his latest video, users react to his alleged consumer clairvoyance.
“’Costco is my life’ as he’s holding a Whole Foods bag,” one user wrote, followed by laughing emojis.
“$7.99 for chicken at Costco’s here in Canada now,” a second user offered.
“Take this man to the casino,” another viewer declared.
“You don’t need an Oracle to predict corporate greed,” a fourth user quipped.
Whether corporate greed, an unstable economy, or rising production costs are to blame, the truth remains that grocery costs are continuously rising for consumers. However, studies show the price rises for grocery foods are finally moderating for the first time since the pandemic.
According to NerdWallet, a recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that food prices (including restaurant and grocery foods) increased 2.2% from March 2023 to March 2024, a significant decrease from the 8.5% price rise between March 2022 and March 2023.
It is not too far-fetched, then, that Costco’s rotisserie chicken, which has sold for $4.99 since it made its debut in May 2009, may break its almost two-decade streak and up the price to $6.99. According to the Oracle of Costco, that is.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Costco via email and @oldjewishmen via private Instagram message for more information.
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