We Found Out What Costco's Yellow Circle Stickers Actually Mean

You're pushing your giant cart through the massive aisles of Costco when you see a price tag with a yellow circle sticker on it. Did you just stumble across secret savings, a special markdown, or even an item that's about to go away? Does it have something to do with how grocery store fruit has that little sticker? Or what those red dot stickers at Dollar Tree mean?

Actually, Costco's little yellow stickers don't relate to you, the shopper, at all. The sole purpose of the stickers is aimed at employees during inventory check. The yellow circle indicates that the item needs to be weighed by the employee instead of counted by how many packages are put out for sale. For instance, cheese or meat that is priced by the pound might be the type of items that you would see with yellow stickers during inventory season.

As you can probably imagine, this can be a huge hassle for employees if somebody makes the inadvertent mistake of counting the items instead of weighing them. So in other words, if you see a yellow dot, give an inner shout out to the employee who has possibly been up all night weighing everything.

Once you start noticing all the extras you may see on a Costco price sign, you won't be able to stop. Understanding what they all mean is just one of the tips and tricks first-time Costco shoppers should know. For instance, that little asterisk on the upper right corner means that the item is either discontinued or not being restocked, so if you like it, now is your chance to grab all that you can. You're especially likely to see this mark on seasonal items. Likewise, if you see a price tag that ends in .00 you'll also want to snag that item immediately — it means it's a markdown that also probably won't be restocked. Same thing if you see a price ending in a .49 or .79, it may be a limited-time promotional offer or only stocked on a rotating basis.

If you spot a green price tag, that's a quick way to find an item that's organic, although it's always a good idea to double check the packaging to make sure something hasn't been misplaced. And if you've ever noticed highlighted letters with a date in the bottom corner of a price tag, like M 12/1, or F or an S, it's not targeted at shoppers. This letter tells employees where a product should be placed in a store and for how long, like front of store, end of aisle, or prominently featured to grab customers' attention. We bet you can't stop analyzing every price tag next time you shop at Costco.