4 Major Changes You'll See at Costco Next Month
There's always something happening at Costco, with new items being launched or removed, and the company switching up customer access to certain items. The giant warehouse chain doesn't make these decisions lightly, and even the more unpopular changes are the result of plenty of market research and following trends. Costco shoppers should expect changes both in store and to the food court in February, if rumors end up being accurate. Here are four changes you might see at Costco next month.
No More Coffee Grinders
Don't be surprised if you notice there are no more public-use coffee grinders after this month. The warehouse chain has always provided members with access to grinders to grind their own beans, but some locations are removing the option. "The grinders were broken at least once a week. Even with signs to not double grind, people would do it all day long and clog the burrs," one Costco employee said on Reddit. "Also we had paint brushes to wipe the grounds and keep the machines clean and people would drop the brushes and grind them into their coffee. Those grinders cost a few thousand dollars each."
No More Books
Costco shoppers should expect to see no more books in store next month. While the chain will still sell books during the holidays, it will no longer be a year-round option. For some members, the store is the only brick-and-mortar place in their town to buy books. "Costco across the country was a big outlet for books," Robert Gottlieb, a literary agent and chairman at Trident Media Group, told The New York Times. "There are now fewer and fewer places to buy books in a retail environment."
Coke, Not Pepsi
There are rumblings that Costco is in the process of replacing Pepsi with Coca-Cola in food courts across the country. Costco has not confirmed the news, but customers are noticing the removal of Pepsi dispensers from food courts. Influencer Ryan Quinlan (@butthatsmyopinion) announced the news via a December Instagram post: "They're bringing Coca-Cola products back to the Costco food court. That means instead of having Pepsi, Mountain Dew, or Starry, you'll have sodas like Coke, Sprite, Fanta, and root beer."
There Could Be a Strike On February 1
Up to 18,000 unionized Costco workers could go on strike on February 1 if a deal isn't reached in time. "From day one, we've told Costco that our members won't work a day past January 31 without a historic, industry-leading agreement." Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien said in a press release. Costco members should expect disruption with longer checkout lines due to fewer staff and product shortages. "We have a 40-year track record of dealing fairly with the Teamsters union," Costco CEO Ron Vachris said in December, via Business Insider. "And we're going to do everything we can to take care of those employees as we do all of our employees."
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