Mystery over the meaning of a pink sign that has suddenly appeared at Costco

A pink sign that has suddenly appeared at a Costco store has led to wild speculation over its meaning.

A fan of the discount bulk grocery retailer took to Reddit to ask about the sign that recently appeared on a display of grass-fed beef tallow in a Costco store that appears to be in either the US or the UK.

Costco has earned a reputation both in Australia and around the world for using basic signage for their product displays, in keeping with its reputation for lower prices.

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"What does the pink signs mean?" the Costco shopper asked on Reddit's 'Costco' forum.

Redditors were quick to begin speculation as to the meaning of the pink sign, and others also weighed in on the green sign that was right alongside it for a display of Costco's signature brand Kirkland Organic Maple Syrup.

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"Costco employee here," a store employee said upon weighing in.

"I am not exactly in the department that prints the signs, but I can certainly say in my admittedly short 2 years working at Costco so far I have not seen any sign that hasn't been in white paper.

"This honestly might just be a case of one specific store getting a shipment of paper with color to print with by accident."

Another suggested pink may be used for "meat products".

This followed speculation green signs indicate organic products only.

"The green signs mean it's organic," one Redditor said.

It was then that the conversation took a different turn, with Costco employees sharing secrets behind their sign-printing practices, which seem to differ from store to store.

"It's the sign holder that's green, not the paper, but yes!!!" one Costco employee said of the comment green is used for organic products.

Another said: "Signs are printed on green paper at my warehouse, only clear sign holders."

"I've actually seen green before and wondered," another said.

"Edit: should have kept reading as I see others saying green is organic. But maybe that isn't universal either."

"You can see the edge of the paper sticking out and it's white, it's the sign holders which are coloured. No idea why," one Redditor observed.

"Former employee here who printed signs. This is the most likely answer," another added.

Costco famously doesn't comment on or explain it's business practices, which makes conversations like this even more prominent on forums such as Reddit, as the discount bulk grocery retailer has gained a devoted following around the world.

The first Costco warehouse in Australia opened in Docklands, Melbourne, on August 17, 2009.

This marked the beginning of Costco's operations in the Australian market.

Then in 2011, another two stores were opened in Auburn in Sydney's West in NSW and one in Canberra in the ACT.

As of July 2025, there are 15 Costco stores in Australia.

Costco also recently joined DoorDash to offer a delivery service to customers who live within delivery range of warehouses.

The partnership was announced in February, with DoorDash explaining on its website: "Australians can access Costco's wide selection by downloading the DoorDash app and searching for Costco on the platform.

"Customers simply add items to their cart, choose a delivery time that suits them, and enjoy the benefits of bulk shopping without the heavy lifting."

This has also made Costco items available for non-members, although non-members do pay higher prices than members do.

By the way, beef tallow is rendered beef fat, traditionally used as a cooking oil, which could add to the case made by one Redditor that the pink sign is used for meat products.

Another suggested it could signal a "Managers Special Clearance" item.

Early this year 9honey Kitchen spotted signs at Costco that included the words "Instant Rebate" on them, including on a sign attached to a display of Krispy Kreme donuts.

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Costco Australia once again declined to comment on the meaning of these words when asked by 9honey Kitchen.

Consumer psychologist and brand strategist Peter Resanceff speculated the phrase is "simply a discount offered by the product's manufacturer and applied at point of purchase at Costco's register, but the way in which it's displayed can be particularly enticing to customers".

"Words are like triggers – if marketers use the right words, they can sometimes trigger a change in behaviour," he added.

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