Lose Money on Purpose

📰 Medium · Startup

Learn how Costco's strategy of selling rotisserie chickens at a loss can inform your business decisions and growth strategies

intermediate Published 1 Sept 2026
Action Steps
  1. Analyze your company's products or services to identify potential loss leaders
  2. Calculate the potential revenue and customer acquisition costs of selling a product at a loss
  3. Evaluate the long-term benefits of customer loyalty and retention
  4. Develop a pricing strategy that balances short-term losses with long-term gains
  5. Test and refine your pricing strategy based on customer feedback and sales data
Who Needs to Know This

Entrepreneurs and product managers can benefit from understanding the reasoning behind Costco's pricing strategy and how it contributes to customer loyalty and retention. This knowledge can help them make informed decisions about their own pricing and growth strategies.

Key Insight

💡 Selling a product at a loss can be a deliberate business strategy to drive customer loyalty, retention, and ultimately, revenue growth

Share This
💡 Selling at a loss can be a winning strategy: learn from Costco's rotisserie chicken phenomenon

Full Article

Costco sells about 137 million rotisserie chickens a year. Every one of them costs $4.99. That price has held since 2009, with one brief… Continue reading on Medium »
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