Costco employees explain why they don't buy produce there

Costco deals are all over the places. They can range from cheap, tasty meals at the food court to the rewards that come with the chain's executive membership.

And many of Costco's deals are fan favorites with customers and employees.

But when Business Insider recently asked 46 Costco employees from around the country to share what items they wouldn't buy at the store, several of them said they didn't buy produce at the store.

And the reason wasn't quality.

The issue was the chain's penchant for bulk sizes.

"While our produce department is one of the best in the business, I personally don't eat veggies fast enough to buy in bulk, so two thirds of it will spoil before I eat it," a Minnesota-based Costco worker told Business Insider.

A Costco manager that's worked all around the US said that buying produce was a "waste of money" for them, as they couldn't "eat the huge quantity fast enough."

Three additional employees from Utah, Idaho, and Hawaii agreed that they steered clear of buying produce from Costco for the same reason.

An employee from Florida added that Costco has to work hard to keep its fruits and vegetables fresh within the store, noting that quality control is hard but essential when dealing with such large quantities.

But not all of the Costco employees who Business Insider spoke with agreed. Three employees from Iowa, Arizona, and Minnesota, as well as one employee who just said they'd worked there "too long," said that they considered produce to be the best deal in the store.

"We get first pick before any other grocery store," an employee from Arizona told Business Insider.

For the employees that Business Insider spoke with, it just came down to whether buying produce in bulk fits in with their household and lifestyle.