Costco Shoppers Are Taken Aback By The 46% Increase In This Item's Price

Costco is widely known for its low prices, which are part of the chain's allure. But sometimes even Costco must face the burdens of reality. However, judging by the Costco subreddit's reactions to a price surge, the membership will make do.

The post in question showed the price for a 40-pound container of Clorox's Xtra Blue chlorinating tabs for pools and spas in 2021 and 2022. On November 12, 2021, the product was worth $129.99. On January 22, 2022, it was worth $189.99. For reference, one commenter giggled, "It was like $70 spring 2020." Another exclaimed, "I got it for $97 in Florida Costco last summer!"

The price increase could be a result of the chlorine shortage that CNBC covered in 2021. The outlet cited the surge in home pool installations that the pandemic inspired. Moreover, a chlorine plant in Louisiana that caught fire in 2020 might not be up and running again until this coming spring. Combine that with yet another fire that CNN reported on January 15, and you have both a massive demand and an unpredicted shortfall in supply. No wonder prices for chlorine tabs rose by 46%.

Rather than fall into a depression over the vicissitudes of owning a pool, many of the reactions to the price raise follow the main logic of consumers: shop for a cheaper option. One person on the Costco subreddit shared a link to the Chlorine-Free Sun Shock Pool Purifier, which sells for $99.99 (via the Costco website). Another suggested people visit the blog Trouble Free Pool, which offers interested parties tips and tools to chlorinate the pool yourself for much less than the chlorinating tabs.

A more vocal segment said that at this point it made more sense just to switch to a saltwater pool: "Convert it to saltwater. Make your own. I never add chlorine." "Second this," another wrote. "The reason to use chlorine used to be cost – salinator equipment was more expensive and chlorine was cheaper. The economics have flipped."

Healthline explains that a saltwater pool still uses some chlorine. However, it does so by converting salt into chlorine. Initially, the equipment to do this will cost more than a box of chlorine tabs, but it leads to potential long-term savings. An added bonus is that the saltwater pool also might not irritate eyes, nose, and skin the way chlorine does. So while some people are definitely a bit shocked by how high prices have gone for chlorine tabs. The average Costco member will muddle through without too much difficulty.