Costco offer the opportunity to make huge savings on a wide variety of products, but the biggest savings of all are reserved for those who know the secret code that’s there for all to see on the price tickets. Each specific price tells you something interesting about the product carrying the price tag.

Products with prices ending in .99 are priced at their full retail price. These are not likely to be the biggest bargains in the store when compared with prices elsewhere. Prices ending in .49 or .79 are a manufacturer’s special offer. These prices usually apply to products which are undergoing trial marketing and as such are likely priced lower than their normal retail price will be, should the trial be successful. Prices ending in .97 are for deals which are available in the local store only. These probably won’t be around for long so if it’s something you want, make sure you buy it today..

Price labels with an asterisk indicate that the item won’t be restocked. That might be because Costco couldn’t get an additional supply of the product cheap enough, or it might be because the product didn’t sell very well. Or it could be that a repackaging is coming. Assume this product won’t appear again and you need to buy today if you want it.

If the price ends in .00 that means the store wants these items sold quickly. They’re priced down to the lowest they will go, and they’re nearly out of stock.

Stores like Costco are good at hiding the bargains amongst products offering only average value. This price coding will help you identify which is which.