How Reddit Helped Finish This Costco Shopper's Quest For Bowls

Often times you are loyal to a specific brand and may not even realize it. For example, you might never stray from the same dish soap, have a favorite spatula, or even prefer an appliance brand above the rest. While for many of us this is simply a preference, there are others, like those on the autistic spectrum, who may rely on specific items for comfort. People with autism can often be sensitive to change and disruption, so patterns, routines, and even specific, familiar objects can help bring order and stability into a daily routine (per Vox).

The sudden loss of these adored objects can cause great discomfort or distress, which is exactly what Reddit user, u/natalie_d101, was attempting to avoid when she took to the social media site for help. The user's niece had been attached to a very specific set of Over and Back Comfort Food bowls that had been purchased at Costco. Unfortunately, the bowls had suddenly been disposed of, which is when the user took to Reddit captioning the post with the plea: "I am on a desperate hunt for the comfort food bowls. They are the only ones my autistic niece will eat out of. Product number is 1401088. I can not find them online or anywhere in Maricopa county."

The post was flooded with heartwarming comments, as the Reddit community went to work to help the original poster hunt down this particular product. In addition to offering their sympathies, quite a few people replied with links to the product from other stores and websites, including Walmart, Amazon, eBay, and even a liquidation company. Another kind-hearted Redditor even offered to ship their own gently used Comfort Food bowls to the poster.

Still, more Costco shoppers responded with tips to help make sure something like this doesn't happen in the future. "Costco's website can be kind of weird sometimes so you can order by item number without having to find the actual product page. It's helped me order things before that I couldn't find through search," suggested one shopper. "Buy a backup set while you're at it. This will be an impossible search in a year or two," another encouraged. 

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Thanks to the combined efforts of the internet, the Reddit user was able to track down the special bowls. "Thanks to some very sweet Redditors, I have it figured out. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I am so grateful," she wrote.