If you shop at Costco, you’ll notice that they display the prices in several different ways and other different things marked on all of the tags. I’ve put all of the Canadian ones together for you, makes it easier to get the best sales, budget, comparison shop etc.
– For a regular sale, the sign will be highlighted through the middle. The highlighted portion will also include a date, and that is when the sale will end. It will also show you the dollars off and the final price.
On regular signs if it’s food or sundries, on the bottom it shows it calculated by mass or volume, or it’s the price per container or box. Very handy if you trying to comparison shop. Especially since the sizing at Costco is usually very different than the same brand at another store.
– Some signs like for the electronic department are done differently. It’s all printed and highlighted in the bottom right area.
– Signs that have a star on it mean that it’s being deleted. It could be deleted forever or maybe just for a while – no guarantee. Often it’s deleted for them to bring in a very similar kind of item, or it was a seasonal item to begin with. If you see a staple item in your household with a star on the tag, it’s a good idea to buy a few extra just in case you never see it again.
– If the price ends in .97 it’s a markdown item. Markdowns are a clear out item and are not coming back for the season. These items are different from store to store and are not going to be around long. It’s always the last of what they have of an item, so if it’s something you want make sure to grab it then and not wait.
– Meat and deli service items signs – all items are priced by kilograms. Make sure to read the item label to find the actual price. A lot of people ask thinking the prices are in pounds but they have been on metric forever and by law prices are in KG’s. If it’s $3 off or $5 off, that’s per package not per weight.
I interviewed Costco employees from several stores across Canada to put all of this information together. Seems tags are done the same way across Canada which is very handy. Of course these cannot be compared to the American ones as it is completely different.