If you’re planning to swing by the store to pick up a carton of eggs, the supply might not be what you’re expecting. And Costco is among the many food retailers experiencing a shortage of the grocery staple right now, according to shoppers.
This week, one Costco member took to Reddit to report a lack of eggs at one Los Angeles-region warehouse. “This store usually has 10-12 pallets stocked every day and [has] been sparsely receiving pallets lately,” the Redditor shared.
Within the thread, others reported similar experiences at their own warehouse club locations.
“I haven’t seen eggs in forever at the Boise location,” one person wrote.
“Been out of stock for weeks at Norwalk, CA,” someone else commented. This Reddit user noted that they are instead going to Sam’s Club for eggs, to which someone else responded that their Sam’s Club location was out of the in-demand grocery item.
Beyond Costco and Sam’s Club, Redditors also said there weren’t any eggs at other grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Safeway.
The egg shortage reports coincide with the rise in cases of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu, which many commenters highlighted in the Reddit thread. The outbreak started in January 2022 and has affected more than 125 million birds in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
The bird flu has resulted in major egg shortage, as well as an increase in egg prices. According to recent consumer price index data, the average retail price of eggs in the U.S. has gone up by 38% since Nov. 2023. In November alone, egg prices increased by 8%, according to CNBC.
Additionally, as stores experience a limited supply of eggs, some are implementing purchase limits on the grocery item.
This week, California officials declared a state of emergency following rising bird flu cases in dairy cattle. The CDC has also reported 61 human cases of bird flu in the U.S., with most being mild.
Shortages aren’t the only reason Costco’s eggs have recently gotten attention. At the end of November, the warehouse club recalled 10,800 units of Kirkland Signature Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs due a potential salmonella contamination. The eggs were distributed to 25 warehouse clubs across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
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Brianna Ruback
