Imported snacks have become a bigger part of mainstream U.S. grocery merchandising as chains test globally familiar flavors with American shoppers. In late June, that trend reached Costco, where Lay’s Thinly Sliced Lime Taro Chips surfaced as a new U.S. warehouse item with unusually broad early distribution.
Costco’s rollout is larger than a one-store novelty
Lay’s Thinly Sliced Lime Taro Chips, sold in a 16.93-ounce bag under Costco item number 2024269, are now listed on Costco’s same-day shopping platform, which identifies the product by name, size and item code. Costco’s listing also describes the chips as a “zesty and crispy crunch” product and shows the item as part of the retailer’s U.S. assortment as of June 30.
A separate warehouse-tracking platform, Warehouse Runner, reported on June 30 that the product had been checked across 510 Costco warehouses, with 350 listed as in stock, 154 as low stock and six as out of stock. That makes this a broad warehouse release rather than a one-off regional test, based on the store checks available Tuesday.
Warehouse Runner also showed recent in-stock or low-stock updates on June 30 for Costco locations in Henderson, Nevada; Hillsboro, Oregon; Austin, Texas; Liberty Hill, Texas; and Kirkland, Washington. The tracked in-store price ranged from $6.99 to $8.79, with an average of $7.63, while Costco’s same-day site showed a delivered price of $7.93.
The product itself is different from a standard Lay’s U.S. chip launch because it uses taro root rather than potatoes. Warehouse Runner’s product description states the chips are imported from China and made with taro, palm oil, sugar, corn maltodextrin, natural flavors, salt, citric acid and malic acid.
What is confirmed in the U.S., and what is not
What is confirmed is that the chips are now being sold through Costco in the United States and that shoppers in multiple states have reported seeing them on warehouse shelves in June. Costco’s same-day listing confirms the item exists in its U.S. system, and Warehouse Runner’s multi-store checks indicate availability across a large share of warehouses.
What is not yet publicly confirmed is a full official list of every Costco warehouse carrying the chips, broken down by city and state, directly from Costco or PepsiCo. Costco has not published a comprehensive store-by-store release map for item 2024269, and PepsiCo has not publicly announced a national retail launch for this specific imported variety.
That gap matters because availability at Costco can vary by region, even when an item is widely distributed. Still, public shopper posts reviewed this week pointed to sightings in Texas, California, New York and the Los Angeles region, which lines up with the broader warehouse tracking that shows the item is not confined to one market.
The phrase “one specific store” understates what appears to be happening on the ground. Early coverage and retail tracking suggest the exclusive U.S. mainstream retail landing point is Costco, but not a single Costco location. Based on currently verifiable listings, Costco is the specific retailer, while individual warehouse availability remains uneven and subject to stock levels.
Why Costco is carrying the flavor now, and what shoppers should expect
The broader context is a U.S. snack business that increasingly leans on international flavors and retailer-exclusive drops to create novelty without building a full national supermarket launch. Parade reported this month that Costco-find accounts had flagged the taro chips as part of a wider push bringing certain international Lay’s varieties from China into major U.S. retail channels.
That strategy fits Costco’s merchandising model, which often rotates in limited-run or hard-to-find products that can generate fast trial without a long promotional campaign. It also aligns with the retailer’s willingness to use a familiar national brand name to introduce a less familiar ingredient, in this case taro, to a broad member base.
For shoppers, the immediate takeaway is practical: the product is real, the bag size is 16.93 ounces, and the item number is 2024269. Pricing appears to vary by warehouse, with recent checks showing a range from $6.99 to $8.79, and stock levels are mixed depending on location.
Customers should also expect that availability may change quickly. Costco’s same-day listing showed the item out of stock in at least one service area on June 30, while Warehouse Runner’s data suggested many warehouses were either fully stocked or running low. For now, the factual picture is that an internationally known Lay’s flavor has quietly entered the U.S. through Costco at scale, even without a formal national announcement.