Costco has implemented a series of major changes to its operation and product offering over the past year in an effort to attract a larger number of customers. The brand also increased its membership prices after discussion. It then required members to scan their membership cards at the entrance and even limited access to its food court to members only
But that’s not all in its changes to its food offerings: it changed its churros to warm cookies and switched the flavor of its strawberry ice cream cups to chocolate. Some customers were delighted with the new products, while others did not adapt to this wave of changes. However, these are going to continue
For more than a decade, visiting Costco culminated in a trip to the food court to buy a hot dog and a Pepsi for $1.50. Starting in February, for the same price, the combo will now bring back Coca-Cola products
During a recent annual shareholders’ meeting, Costco CEO Ron Vachris confirmed the long-awaited change when the chain brought in Pepsi over Coca-Cola in 2013, prompting complaints over the years, as some customers pointed out the low quality of its beverages in the dispensers:
“Since they switched to Pepsi, two out of three of the dispensers dispense 50% syrup and 50% still water,” one shopper noted on Reddit.
Other changes implemented at Costco for the month of February
In addition, there are other changes that will be implemented within the chain, which is famous for the large number of studies it conducts on consumer habits and trend tracking. As a result, other changes we will see in the coming days include:
No more grinder for coffee beans
Costco had public-use coffee grinders available until February. Some of its stores are removing this benefit for maintenance reasons, as users reported that: “The grinders would break at least once a week. Even with signs prohibiting double grinding, people would do it all day long and clog the grinders,” a Costco employee said on Reddit
“We also had brushes to clean 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,” so it was not practical to keep them running.
The offer of books at Costco
Another product that will be withdrawn is the books that were sold in stores. The store announced that it will only have them on offer in stores during the holidays, but not throughout the year. It is a controversial measure as some users revealed that the store is the only physical place in their city to buy them. “Now there are fewer and fewer places to buy books in a retail environment,” Robert Gottlieb, literary agent and chairman of Trident Media Group, told The New York Times.