Costco quietly rolls out new long-awaited product, triggering shopper excitement

Costco has rolled out a new milk product in select locations that lactose-intolerant customers say they had long been "waiting for Costco to put out."

An ultra-filtered, high-protein, low-calorie 2% fat milk has appeared in Texas stores, according to an early April Reddit post by a user in Georgetown.

FOX Business has confirmed the item has been stocked in select Austin-area stores, with more locations expecting to receive it soon.

Customers can purchase the product in three half-gallon cartons under the Kirkland Signature label for $10.59.

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According to users on social media, the new product has not yet expanded to East Coast locations and is currently part of a West Coast–focused testing phase.

The warehouse addition, product no. 1975527, comes at a convenient time, consumers said, as many users have reported noticing higher prices and intermittent shortages in comparable products sold at competing retailers, including Aldi’s Fairlife line, one of the first major brands to popularize ultra-filtered milk.

"This is exactly what I've been waiting for Costco to put out!" one Reddit user said in a post. "I buy the Aldi one but this should be cheaper still. Hope it hits my warehouse soon."

While 2% lactose-free milk is already available at Costco, including the Kirkland Organic Lactose Free, the new product offers 50% less sugar, 50% more protein, and an increased level of daily vitamins.

It contains 120 calories and 13 grams of protein per cup, compared with roughly 130 calories and 8 grams of protein in similar alternatives.

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Users also praised the new product, priced at $10.59 for a total of 1.5 gallons, as a steep discount, with some shoppers noting that Fairlife milk can cost about $5.32 for 0.4 gallons, or more than $10 for less than a gallon at local grocery stores.

"Fair life is $5.32 for .4 gallon at my local grocery store," one user said. "That’s a pretty solid discount!"

"Woah, I stopped buying the 2% Costco milk and replaced it with the Aldi fair life dupe ($3.89 for 57oz) about 8 months ago, but if this shows up at mine, I’m buying this instead," another user said. 

The lactose-free, high-protein milk is made possible through an ultra-filtration process that separates milk into components and recombines them for higher protein and lower sugar while reducing lactose. 

While Fairlife milk pioneered and patented a specific multi-stage filtration system, other manufacturers, including Costco, can still use broader filtration methods to concentrate protein and produce lactose-free milk products.

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The process also creates a thicker, creamier product that is often lactose-free, high in macronutrients, and more shelf-stable, according to shoppers.

"I love the flavor, and I really love the expiration date," another Reddit user said. "Unopened, they last for weeks, so it's nice to have something that has a fresher taste, but does not expire in two weeks. The shelf stable milk lasts longer unopened, but doesn't taste fresh."

If sales perform well in its initial markets, the item could be rolled out to additional locations, which is consistent with Costco’s typical approach of testing private-label products in select regions before scaling distribution chain-wide based on consumer demand.