Product Review: New Milk Jugs at Coscto

July 8, 2008 · Filed Under , ·  

I am a big fan of change if that change sparks more efficient products. So when I heard of the new 1 gallon Milk jugs at Costco and how they are helping to keep costs down, I was intrigued. As I see it now, here are the pros and cons of the new design:

Pros

  1. Cheaper Milk. Apparently the new square design allows the jugs to be stacked which in turn allows more milk to be shipped per truck load. Which means less transportation/gas costs and that savings is passed along to us. You can currently get 2 one gallon jugs for $7.25 (or $3.60 per gallon). Not bad.
  2. Better Fit. The new 1 gallon jugs will now fit on the side door of most refrigerators.
  3. Better For The Environment. I have heard that the new jugs, if not recycled, are more biodegradable in the landfill. Has anyone else heard this?

Cons

  1. Hard To Pour. With the big opening way up on top it is very hard to pour these bad boys without trickling it down the side, and on to the floor, where the cat then licks it up. When you get about half way into the jug, pouring gets much easier.
  2. More Work For Parents. Forget about kids being able to pour these unwieldy things. Unless, of course, your cat needs to add a few pounds.

Have you used the new square milk jugs? What was your experience? Good, bad, or indifferent.

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Comments

11 Responses to “Product Review: New Milk Jugs at Coscto”

  1. Kimberly on July 8th, 2008 2:51 pm

    I’ve never seen these.. interesting… this did remind me of something someone told me years ago about milk in Canada I think.. that the milk comes in bags… they don’t have any cartons, just bags…

    Random :)

  2. Kyle on July 8th, 2008 3:43 pm

    Kimberly, thanks for the comment. I have heard of bags of milk….they call them utters! ;-)

  3. annie on July 8th, 2008 3:52 pm

    I noticed the new jugs a little while ago and just recently heard why they are the way they are. The first one was difficult to pour, but I was totally used to it by the time I used a second one. I love the idea and applaud the new jugs. I hope more creative packaging will make its way to market.

  4. Jennifer on July 8th, 2008 4:36 pm

    I haven’t seen them yet. Costco is too far away to supply us with milk regularly, we have our milk delivered from a local dairy. I’ll have to ask my SIL whether she likes them, she buys Costco milk regularly.

  5. Alisa on July 8th, 2008 7:53 pm

    I saw a story about it on the news. If it helps to save money, I’m all for it. Yet if it is inconvenient to use, well, that’s a different story,

    An item that is such a stable in the home, used frequently by parents, and kids alike, should be user friendly. I wonder if it was thoroughly tested for usability before it was introduced into the market place?

    Be well. http://www.ourstockmarketjourney.blogspot.com/

  6. BeThisWay on July 8th, 2008 8:26 pm

    My Costco switched to these several months ago. I find them very difficult to pour, and still spill sometimes. I’ve heard the trick is that you have to keep them on the counter and tip them instead of the old lift-and-pour.

    I do wish they’d make the spout more user-friendly, like the ones in detergent.

    The price of ours did not go down, unless that was absorbed in a price increase at the same time.

    The milk still tastes good. And even though the price didn’t go down it’s still almost $1 a gallon cheaper than at Publix.

  7. Wild Squirrel on July 8th, 2008 9:33 pm

    I purchase our milk from Sam’s who also uses these jugs. I can’t stand to pour milk out of them, but I love the lower-priced product. There must be a lot of complaints, as Sam’s recently posted a sign by the milk that reads something to the effect of how the jug design is saving the consumer money. Best thing to do for those of us who are pouring-deficient with the new style is to empty the contents into another container after we get home. Funny what I’m willing to suffer through to save a few bucks!

  8. Amy on July 9th, 2008 1:00 pm

    I just did a post on this on my blog last month. I tried this new milk jug and did not like it at all! It’s great that the cost is cheaper but if I end up spilling milk every time I pour then I’m wasting money! I’m clumsy anyway and don’t need one more thing to think “OK now be CAREFUL!” about. :) Probably I would get used to it after a while though and not even notice.

  9. Amy @ Goo Goo Buy Buy on July 15th, 2008 9:10 pm

    The Costco near my house has had these square jugs for a while now, and we buy them frequenlty. I like the price, and we’ve not had any trouble pouring them. So, it’s a win-win for us.

    And I was very interested to read on your blog that the packaging helps save consumers money, helps out the environment and helps Costco manage its costs.

    When I’m not saving money, I write business books. Just today, I was talking with my editor about some examples of ingenuity on the part of some businesses. This is a good example that I think I might mention. It’s a small change from the old way of doing things helps customers and the company.) I say kudos to Costco for doing things differently and thinking outside the (big) box.

  10. Karen on July 18th, 2008 10:24 am

    I’ve heard about these new jugs; I think they are doing something similar at Walmart as well. They seem better overall, but I’m horrible with messes in the kitchen as it is, so I’d worry about the pouring issue!

  11. Jared on August 30th, 2008 8:01 pm

    So I am looking for the new milk jugs for a project and need them asap? Does anyone have two of them to send to me? They are not sold in Utah yet and cannot find them through any family members.

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