Costco’s ‘emergency food bucket’ is a hit with apocalypse-minded shoppers

The growing threat of climate change and the increase in unpredictable natural disasters that comes with it is leading survival-minded shoppers to a bucket of possible salvation from Costco.

The big box warehouse club retailer is selling the “Readywise Emergency Food Bucket” for around $80 to its US customers.

“In a world where unpredictability has become a constant, our assortment takes on a vital role in emergency preparedness,” reads the product’s description on Costco’s website. “Imagine the sudden onset of severe weather, the challenges of unexpected job transitions, or the unsettling thought of food shortages. These are the moments when having a reliable source of sustenance becomes a game-changer.”

The bucket features 150 food pouches with a variety of flavors including chicken alfredo, creamy pasta and vegetables, teriyaki rice, cheesy macaroni, as well as puddings, cereals and something called “orange drink mix”. Most notably perhaps, the meals also have a 25-year shelf life.

The Readywise product boasts: “80 servings of hearty entrees & sides, 30 servings for nourishing breakfasts, and an additional 40 drink servings. Easy preparation, just add water.”

This summer alone, natural disasters such as major flooding trapped people in places like the midwest in their homes or forced them to evacuate. The aftermath of Hurricane Beryl left residents in Houston, Texas, without power for days, leaving refrigerated and frozen foods to perish.

Some social media users nicknamed the product the “doomsday kit” or “apocalypse dinner kit”.

Instagram user and cookbook author Jeffrey Eisner said in a video he had never seen anything like it before.

Eisner said: “When the world collapses and caves in, as long as you have your Readywise food supply, all’s right with the world.”