Costco Cuts Ties With Company That Handles Free Store Samples

Here's another example of the coronavirus epidemic wreaking havoc on normal every day things that we love. The company that was contracted to provide employees who give out all those plentiful free samples in Costco Warehouse stores has been cut loose by the retail giant.

Club Demonstration Services, who have provided sampling and demonstration events to Costco members for 32 years temporarily shut down earlier this month due to coronavirus concerns, according to their website. Some of their brand partners include Kellogg, McCormick Spices, Kraft Foods, and Tyson. They employed around 30,000 friendly faces who provided delicious samples throughout Costco stores around the US., and in the initial days of sample service being shut down, were still kept on for sanitation purposed in the warehouses.

BuzzFeed News got an email from a former employee who was not sure if or when the company will ever come back, but Costco CEO Ron Vachris has described in store sampling as 'part of the company's DNA', and has reportedly told managers that they will try and bring it back as soon as possible.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I would be extremely hesitant to ever take a free sample in a grocery store ever again when all of this coronavirus hysteria dies down. I don't feel like it will ever be appropriate again, but, that might be just me. And on the other hand, wishing the employees of CDS, and every other company being affected by this, all the best when we finally get back to normal.