Texans Are Clucking Over Costco’s Egg Shortage And Purchase Limits

If you thought the great toilet paper crisis of 2020 was a one-time thing, think again. Costco stores across Texas are now limiting how many eggs you can buy, and if you’ve been to one recently, you know it’s getting serious!

Thanks to an H5N1 avian flu outbreak, egg supplies are running low across the country, and that means Costco is starting with purchase limits. At some Texas locations, customers are restricted to buying just three dozen eggs per trip. Now, for most of us, that’s probably plenty—but if you’ve got a big family, run a bakery, or just really love scrambled eggs, this might be a very serious problem.

Egg Hunt: Costco Edition

Reports from all over Texas say that eggs are selling out within minutes of being restocked. One shopper in Austin said that even with the purchase limit, Costco eggs were gone in 10 minutes. TEN. MINUTES. That’s not grocery shopping—that’s Black Friday madness for breakfast food.

This all feels eerily similar to early pandemic panic buying, when people were fighting over Charmin like it was gold and loading up carts with more hand sanitizer than they’d ever need. Are we about to see an underground egg resale market in Lubbock? I wouldn’t be surprised...

The Costco Cart Strategy

If you’re planning a Costco run this weekend, here’s a game plan:
1️⃣ Get there early. Like, “camp outside if necessary” early.
2️⃣ Head straight to the eggs. Skip the free samples. (You can’t make an omelet out of mini taquitos.)
3️⃣ Bring backup. Got a friend or spouse? Each of you can buy three dozen. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

While United Supermarkets and Walmart haven’t announced widespread limits yet, Costco’s move might be a sign of things to come. If you’re an omelet enthusiast, a baker, or just love breakfast tacos, it might be time to start rationing!