The Hidden Secrets of Costco’s Price Tags Reveal More Than Price

The warehouse club Costco is a shopping staple in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette Louisiana. Members of Costco say they like the store's ample selection and low prices. The store has also made a name for itself by offering unique items and clever shopping hacks that save customers money. The Costco brand is also famous for its in-store food sampling.

Many of you might be regular customers of Costco. Even if you don't live in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, or Lafayette, the opportunity to buy in bulk at lower prices often brings people from more than an hour's drive away to shop at these huge warehouse stores, mainly for the reasons we've noted above.

But savvy Costco shoppers have learned how to find the savings within the savings and they've also uncovered a sinister plot that shoppers will want to be aware of involving the Costco "Death Star". That's the name a Facebook group gave the tiny asterisk (*) that sometimes appears on a Costco price tag.

The reason it's called the "Death Star" is that shoppers have learned that the (*) asterisk is used to denote on the price tag that the item will not be reordered for that location. Sometimes, the "Death Star" only signifies a seasonal end to the appearance of a product in the store. Other times, it means the product is being discontinued so if you love it, then you better stock up.

Another savvy shopper Costco hack involves the price displayed on the price tag itself. If the price ends in .99 then that item is being sold at full price. However, if you notice the price of an item ends in .97 or .00 then that item has been marked down for the express purpose of offloading the current stock of the item in question.

Now from what we understand via the website, The Krazy Coupon Lady, the prices that end in .97 are national markdowns while the prices that end in .00 are markdowns initiated at the local level. And in order to find out exactly which items are markdown for clearance you simply need to input the term "whilesupplieslast" when you visit the Costco website. Make sure you type that as all one word and you'll get the complete list of clearance items available at the store.

And according to Redditor jpalec, if you see a price that ends in .49 or .79 the store is running a manufacturer special. This is usually in association with products that are undergoing a trial run with the store. So, you might find these deals better than the actual retail price of the item as the store and the manufacturer are wanting to incentivize you to try the item in hopes that you'll buy it again. Most likely at a higher price.

If you're a Costco shopper and weren't aware of these "secret price hacks" we hope they help you save money. If you have a few others that we need to add to the list, please drop us a comment or send us a message. We love helping people save money.