Here’s the Hidden Meaning Behind Costco’s Famous Asterisk

Costco might seem like an ordinary warehouse supplier, but there’s all sorts of features that make it unique—from the store’s rotating layout to the budget-friendly cost of their signature Kirkland products.

But there’s one aspect of Costco’s operations that continues to mystify members: the meaning behind the brand’s price tag asterisk that can be found in the top right corner of certain items’ labels. This tiny symbol has launched full-scale debates about their meaning across social media.

Some users on Reddit seem to believe the asterisk is connected to Costco's current inventory of the item in question. Others say the symbol signifies a pending change in the item’s pricing, potentially leading to serious savings for the more patient shoppers among Costco’s clientele.

We did reach out to Costco for confirmation, but haven’t heard back yet. Fortunately, experienced Costco members and employees have shared the true meaning behind this mysterious little asterisk that has the internet buzzing with follow-up questions. And in true Costco fashion, the answer is far more straightforward than you might think.

If you’re a longtime shopper, you may have heard the asterisk in question referred to as the “death star” — and, it turns out, that’s an apt name. In the simplest of terms, any item featuring the “death star” on its label signifies that Costco won’t be resupplying their inventory for the item in question at any point in the near future.

One Reddit user who also happened to be a former Costco employee put it plainly, writing “worked at Costco for 2 years. It is called ‘Pending delete’ and is being discontinued. The price usually drops accordingly. Customers called it the ‘death star’ or the ‘asterisk of death’. If you see it with an asterisk, buy it. If you really like it, buy two or three.”

Of course, the availability of each item can vary significantly from one warehouse to the next. For example, just because an item at one Costco has been marked by the “asterisk of death” doesn’t mean another Costco nearby is discontinuing their supply of the same product. To confirm whether an item is currently being stocked in your local store, it’s recommended that you search the brand’s website to see if it’s currently available at that specific location.

While most shoppers recognize that the “death star” signifies a soon-to-be discontinued item, many other Costco members have wondered whether the asterisk also implies a pending change in the item’s price.

Though many of these items might see a drop in cost to ensure they sell out at a faster rate—helping Costco clear their inventory to make way for new items—a significant price change isn’t guaranteed. Perhaps the best way to tell whether an item might see an altered cost involves looking at the final two digits at the end of the price tag.

If the price ends in .99, the listed item is currently being sold at its regular cost. Anything lower than that typically denotes some kind of discount, especially when coupled with the infamous “death star” asterisk. “Prices ending in .99 are full-price, while .97s indicate clearance deals. Double eights or zeroes indicate manager markdowns,” according to Business Insider.

This series of images shared on Reddit offer some useful examples of how this might play out during your next shopping trip. In the post, you may notice that Costco’s Lea & Perrins’ Worcestershire sauce is listed at $4.97 and features an asterisk in its top right corner. This means that the item has seen a slight markdown in its cost, and that this particular Costco location has the item slated for discontinuation. The fresh cranberries in the final slide, meanwhile, only features an asterisk on the label, with its set price listed at $1.99. This item’s final cost means that the cranberries haven’t received a formal drop in pricing, even though they are scheduled to be discontinued once the store’s supply runs out.

Naturally, the best thing you can do if you happen to spot an item with an asterisk is to consider stocking up while you can, especially if it’s a well-loved item that you routinely purchase.

It’s also worth pointing out that there is a possibility that some of these discontinued items featuring an asterisk might return at a later date. Some users on Reddit mention that they bought large numbers of their favorite products when they noticed an asterisk on the item’s pricing labels in the past, only to find said item return at a later date with updated packaging and a notably lower price.

“Once my favorite chicken nuggets had the asterisk, and I panicked and bought 6 bags,” one shopper recalls. “A month later they came back in a new bag design and a dollar cheaper. Same amount of chicken nuggets.”

There’s no guarantee that an item will return to Costco once it’s been hit with the “death star.” With that in mind, any shoppers with a particular love for the marked product should think about purchasing them sooner rather than later to avoid missing out completely.

Richard Chachowski

Freelance Writer

Richard Chachowski is an entertainment, travel, and lifestyle writer who has written for such publications as Parade, Allrecipes, Complex, Fangoria, and Looper, among many other outlets. He received his BA from The College of New Jersey and has been a professional writer since 2020. When he's not busy lounging around in an airline seat, he's likely to be found at home engrossed in a book, all the while fending off his ornery Shih Tzu, Molly.