Costco's cheap rotisserie chicken drives store traffic.
Costco keeps its $4.99 rotisserie chicken price intact because it operates its own chicken slaughterhouse in Nebraska, roasts near warehouses, and uses other parts of the bird and leftover rotisserie meat in prepared foods. With production cost around $3.50 per bird, the chicken is not a money loser, and placing it at the back of the store pulls shoppers through aisles to drive traffic and incremental sales.