A Christmas Dessert Has Already Arrived At Costco

While Santa is probably still making his list and checking it twice at the North Pole, it appears Christmas has already come to town at Costco in the form of a classic holiday dessert. On Wednesday, August 28, Reddit user u/kawi-bawi-bo spotted a palette of Madi gran panettone at their local warehouse, causing some confusion among other Costco shoppers on the social media platform.

"Halloween has been out since July and now Christmas is out in August? Something is very wrong with this timeline," u/spectraphysics said in response to the seemingly premature Costco find. Another seemed to agree that it was a bit alarming to see the domed Italian sweet bread so early, writing: "Yikes."

Packed with raisins and candied fruits, panettone is traditionally served on Christmas Eve, so spotting it while summer is still in full force may seem like cause for concern. However, in Italy, bakeries often start production of the treat in September in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. Therefore, Costco's timeline isn't necessarily far off, and with a shelf life of up to six months, panettone bought now should still be perfectly palatable when the Christmas season rolls around — though you don't need to wait for the holidays if you want to break into the fruit cake ahead of time.

With 63 days until Halloween and 118 days until Christmas, the appearance of Madi gran panettone at Costco may feel a bit rushed. However, it turns out that the big box retailer has been decking its proverbial halls for some time now.

On Thursday, August 22 — the same day that Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte made its grand return – Reddit user u/Soundfires found a display of Disney Christmas Villages at their local Costco. More than a month earlier, on July 15, another Redditor spotted advent calendars for sale at the grocer, while a third found festive holiday ribbons at their warehouse a full six months ahead of Christmas Eve on June 24.

Given the response to Reddit user u/kawi-bawi-bo's panettone sighting at Costco, it seems that not everybody enjoys seeing holiday products early. However, a study conducted by the National Retail Federation in 2023 found that 43% of festive consumers prefer to begin their holiday shopping before November even rolls around for budgeting reasons as well as to avoid crowds and all the stress from last-minute shopping. Furthermore, at Costco, specifically, seasonal items tend to sell out several weeks before the holiday they're made for with no guarantees that they'll be restocked. Therefore, as strange as it may feel to purchase your Christmas panettone in August, it may be wise to do yourself a favor and grab one now.