According to the Associated Press, Costco has dropped Coca-Cola products while the two companies sort through a pricing dispute. Costco says it wants lower wholesale prices so it can pass along savings to its customers. Coke is balking. But the article indicates that the dispute will likely be settled quickly. Until then, bubble up somewhere else, folks....
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According to City Room: "Company executives hope to have food stamp acceptance in place in half the company's 407 warehouse-style stores by Thanksgiving...While the company had once protested that it was difficult to configure its computer systems to accept food stamps—given that Costco sells many other products besides food—Costco has now embraced the idea."...
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For $99.99, you can order two ounces of French-imported Winter Black truffles or Périgord Truffles (Tuber melanosporum) from Costco. Item # 394884. Uniquely the only type of truffle without a tan flesh, these winter marvels have a black or chocolate colored flesh and carry an aroma that is out of this world! These gastronomic treats flourish from January through March when the black truffles have their most intense aroma. These truffles arrive fresh from France having been picked and delivered within a week of leaving the rich soil. Costco will deliver them via UPS 2nd Day Air. As our friend mulegirl said best: "If anyone ever asks you to explain the difference between Costco and Walmart." Now you have...
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Photograph from greenwenvy08 on Flickr According to Jennifer 8. Lee of the New York Times, Costco—which has a well-deserved reputation as a progressive, worker-friendly company—doesn't take food stamps. This makes no sense. Lee reports that Costco offered three reasons for this: 1. They did not think they would qualify based on the federal government requirements.2. It was too expensive to adapt their equipment to accept food stamps.3. With their annual fee/bulk-purchase model, people on food stamps probably could not shop there anyway. Lee's story painstakingly refutes each of these rationales. The fact that this policy continues in the midst of our economic meltdown seems particularly cruel and nonsensical. And given Costco's progressive reputation, it's ironic that the Times is...
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Good news for lovers of saffron! Beginning in May, you'll be able to buy certified saffron from Spain's Castilla La Mancha region at your local Costco. Costco buyer Gary Kotzen says, "We want the best of the best, and we want to offer it to our members without them having to pay the premium. We'll bring it in, package it ourselves and offer it to our members at about one third or even one fifth of the cost of similar saffron."...
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Costco is good for many things: giants bags of chip, trays of 20 croissants, boxes of candy bars, Post-its in bulk, and most important of all, Emergency Food Kits. For $114.99, you get 275 servings of water-reconstitutable goodness all tucked away in a 23-pound bucket. Have a craving for corn chowder? Just add a corn chowder pack to five cups of boiling water and simmer for 20 minutes. (Kit does not contain water.) You can also feast on Western Stew, Blueberry Pancakes, Whey Milk, and Potato Bakon Soup. Bakon, my friends, bakon! I don't think this is something you should eat on a regular basis just to save money (as tempting as that may be), but if you're trapped...
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Martha Stewart is going into the frozen food business via a deal with Costco. With Martha Stewart Omnimedia's stock price languishing and its earnings picture equally lackluster, the real question is whether frozen lasagna can save Ms. Martha's bacon....
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If you like the Real Thing better made with real sugar and you happen to live near a Costco, you'll be happy to know that they're selling Mexican Coke: $17.99 for a case of 24 twelve ounce bottles, which comes out to 75c each. How'd Costco manage that, you ask? According to SFist, they've "conformed to CA and U.S. rules, such as CRV (the sort-of deposit you pay for the bottle) and "nutrition" labeling, so everything appears to be nice and legal." Coca-Cola Corporate in Atlanta says there is "no perceptible taste difference" between Mexican Coke made with real sugar and US Coke made with high-fructose corn syrup, but as anyone who's ever had the two can tell you,...
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