Costco has long stood as a beacon in an uncertain economic climate. For 40 years, its hot dog-and-drink combo has stuck to its $1.50 price tag. Equally reassuring is its wholesale $5 rotisserie chicken, a three-pound ready-to-eat meal that can put dinner on the table for less than the price of a beer at most New York City bars.
But recent signs suggest even Costco may be going against the tide: Earlier this month, the company’s new financial chief announced that the company would be raising membership prices for the first time in seven years, by $5 for the basic plan and $10 for executive memberships.
Now the retailer is showing a new sign of a serious disruption of the natural order: “Apocalypse Buckets,” which contain 150 meals and can be stored for up to 25 years, have appeared online and in stores.
The Readywise Emergency Food Bucket, available for $80 on Costco’s website, contains 25,280 calories of freeze-dried food to prepare you for anything the world throws your way over the next 25 years. It includes 80 main dishes like pasta alfredo, teriyaki rice, and “potato and chicken” pot pie, 30 breakfast options, and 40 beverage options.
“This assortment isn’t a temporary solution, it’s a long-term solution. It’s a tangible expression of your dedication to making sure you and your loved ones are taken care of, no matter what the future holds,” the product description reads.
Jeffrey Eisner, a cookbook author and popular Instagram cookbook author, introduced the bucket in a video on his account, which has garnered nearly 50,000 likes and endless jokes in the comments section.
“With the inflation going on I might just go buy this for normal living while I finish school,” one person commented.
“I wonder if Costco knows anything?” another user said.
End-of-life care packages have become something of a meme, but the company behind these buckets is serious. According to its website, Leadwise sells a wide variety of emergency food products. Their products range from single-serving meals and instant coffee packets for a few dollars to long-term food packs for 4,320 meals that cost more than $10,000.
“Whether it’s a natural disaster, a power outage, civil unrest or an unexpected crisis, having reliable access to nutritious, delicious food makes a huge difference,” the Leadwise website states.
