The Enduring Enigma of Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo
Mental Floss Jake Rossen
The price hasn't changed in nearly 35 years. What kind of
sorcery is this?
Excerpt:
When Costco president W. Craig Jelinek once complained to
Costco co-founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal that their
monolithic warehouse business was losing money on their
famously cheap $1.50 hot dog and soda package, Sinegal
listened, nodded, and then did his best to make his take on the
situation perfectly clear.
"If you raise [the price of] the effing hot dog, I will kill
you," Sinegal said. "Figure it out."
~ ~ ~
The articles goes on to explain how Costco set in stone "value, good will, foot traffic," as well as how Cosco survived changing times.
The takeaway:
Create an online membership product wherein the price never increases and will create virtual foot traffic aka access to related products? Me thinks so.
Lightin' fuses is for blowin' stuff togethah.