Costco is one of the largest companies in the US food industry. With the new summer campaign, the supermarket has decided to launch a new product in its food court stores. The company has opted for a refreshing drink or dessert; a frozen strawberry lemonade. Customer reviews have been quick to arrive, filling social media with a wide variety of opinions for and against.
Costco
Costco is a company founded in 1983 by James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, it has 897 locations worldwide. It has a presence in America, Canada, Japan, UK, Spain and China among many others. But what does Costco offer? It is the world’s largest club-type chain of prices. Its catalogue covers absolutely all sectors such as food, household goods, clothing, tyres, appliances, technology and even optical service. Is there any product in the world that is not on a Costco shelf? It doesn´t seem like. Like all big companies, summer is a perfect time to launch new products or recover some of the classics for a limited time. And it is precisely this marketing strategy that has launched the brand; it has launched a new refreshing drink with which it wanted to surprise its customers.
Frozen strawberry lemonade
Costco’s bet for this summer is the launch of a cold and refreshing drink. It is an iced strawberry lemonade. According to the brand, it is made with fresh fruit and no colorants or additives are added. Its selling price is $2.99, (which makes it very attractive), and can be purchased in the food court of the establishments.
What do customers have to say?
Introducing a new product, advertising it with these characteristics (natural, without colours or additives, cheap and delicious), can be a great success or a failure. In the case of frozen strawberry lemonade, opinions have been many and varied. Introducing a new product, advertising it with these characteristics (natural, without colours or additives, cheap and delicious), can be a great success or a failure. In the case of frozen strawberry lemonade, opinions have been many and varied. To express these opinions, customers have made use of their profiles on social networks and even tagged Costco.
On the one hand, there are those who find it too sweet. Although the brand states that there are no artificial ingredients in it, many customers think this way. Others complain because the strawberry´s pipes get stuck in the straw, which makes it difficult to drink. In that aspect, it is far from what a traditional lemonade is. Others provide a solution to this problem, suggesting drinking it with a boba straw or straight from the cup. On the other hand, there are also many online reviews in which customers complain about its strong bitter taste. Maybe strawberries are not that fresh. Who knows.
New launches in Costco
It is not easy for a big brand as Costco to launch a new product without controversy. Companies that have been in the market for a long time are forced to innovate and have the ability to surprise consumers. However, we live in a world where there is practically everything. How to surprise a clientele who has already seen it all? Offering fresh, natural products without chemical ingredients and at an affordable price is a very attractive option, but the reality is that if all these factors come together, the selling price will have to be higher in order to reduce costs (especially after the rise in prices due to Trump tariffs). Big brands will have to think harder and come up with new and different ideas to surprise their customers!
Find out which product is a hit on the shelves at Costco!
