Is $8 too much to charge for a deluxe burger patty? If not, under what circumstances? And what kind of burger? And what does it say about COSTCO at a time when ordinary folks are starving because of relentless high food prices?
The COSTCO Super Bowl ‘Burger Flight’: Nothing special
on price. Maybe nothing special on the bun, either…
It’s a sign of the times. And it reminds me of the story behind the bread shortage that triggered the French Revolution. The divide between the rich and poor in late 18th Century France had become so extreme that average folks rose up and literally beheaded the aristocracy.
I agree – that’s an oversimplification. But every society has its breaking point. And more often than not, throughout history, it’s been about food.
The ‘Super Bowl’ excuse
Thus it is that we’re seeing a record number of over-the-top prices for everything from game tickets, to game broadcast commercial time slots, to game-day stadium food. Even the ‘specials’ cooked up by retailers, aimed at those still flush enough to afford to host Super Bowl parties, have gone totally nuts this year.
Regular prices for many mainstream ‘tailgating’ delicacies were already out of reach reach for the masses before the annual ‘specials’ were declared, starting a few weeks back. The difference this year – in my humble estimation – is that many of the ‘specials’ are still too costly for the majority to cau-tion, on their super-stressed budgets.
Burgers and Dogs
Sidestepping the eternally vexed issue of over-priced stadium food, even during mid-season… What about the price of cook-at-home Burgers and Hot Dogs at Super Bowl time?
The best ‘deals’ I could find, shopping the online larders of the main retailers in my neighbourhood just now averaged $1 per dog for just the weenie, in bulk. And those were just your ‘standard’ all-beef dog, at that.
Hamburger patties are a better deal. At least, they’re made from beef. And given the price of fresh beef cuts these days, the average price of about $2. per ‘standard’ quarter pound / 113 g. puck sounds pretty okay. Again, though, that’s nothing special. Not especially ‘lean’, far from ‘Angus’, and frozen in bulk.
But how about a upgraded burger ‘flight’ befitting a special occasion such as the Super Bowl?
Does COSTCO ‘meat’ the challenge?
I was a little confused – and disappointed – to see COSTCO, of all retailers, making great hay over a new ‘burger flight’ deal it’s offering. My consternation springs from my traditional perception of COSTCO as a ‘warehouse’ retailer which built its reputation on ‘by-the-case’ deals that allegedly beat everybody else’s price.
Behold the COSTCO Super Bowl Burger Flight – a meat-box deal which gets you a selection of three different types of premium beef patties. “An amazing mix of Gourmet Steak Burgers,” the official description raves. “Spoil your taste buds with this burger variety pack. Sure to provide the ultimate grilling experience for all burger lovers.”
In less-flowery language you get: eight 8-oz Wagyu Steak Burgers; eight 8-oz USDA Prime Burgers and twelve 8-oz Angus Steak Burgers. Plus a 5-oz bottle of Chicago Steak Company Seasoning. No buns or trimmings included.
Dissecting the deal…
My first impression was the aforementioned bogglement. I had to check several independent online sources to confirm that the 8 oz. weight-per-patty claim was not a misprint. After all, 8 oz. / 226 g is, like, half a pound! The size of a small steak. Who in the real world world serves a burger that size? Much less eats one? Except, maybe, a ravenous Super Bowl football player?
The odd size, and questions one could ask about COSTCO’s definition of ‘Wagyu’ and ‘Angus’, aside… How does the deal compare on price?
For ‘just’ $220 you get a total of 28 jumbo burgers, which comes out to the equivalent of about $4 per ‘standard’ 4 oz. burger. Add at least $1 for a suitably luxe bun and another $1 for toppings, and you’re up to $6 per burger. Perilously close to the regular price of an Arby’s ‘Wagu’ Burger, which is around $7. And the Arby’s offering is actually a ’51 percent American Wagyu / 49 percent ground beef’ blend. Again, I have to wonder what COSTCO is selling as a ‘Wagyu’ burger…
My take
Reading between the lines… The underlying message here is that COSTCO has now evolved into something very different than the original ‘wholesale to the public’ outlet it launched as. It also leaves an odd taste in my metaphorical mouth, that folksd still have to pay a hefty membership fee every year for the privilege of shopping there.
My overall impression, based both on price and product orientation, is that COSTCO has abandoned its original identity to cater to rich folks who can afford it’s quirky products. And many of the pro-ducts it seems proudest of no longer represent any significant savings, nor will they appeal to the average person looking to save a buck or two…
~ Maggie J.