Costco: Food Stamps Will Be Accepted

Seattle Times:

Costco Wholesale plans to accept food stamps at its warehouse stores nationwide, a major shift for a company that earlier this year said it doubted there would be enough demand among customers to warrant accepting food stamps in even one market, New York City.

Read the whole story: Seattle Times

Comments

[HotheadPaisen]

People keep comparing Costco to Sam's- wow- nothing could be farther from the truth.
Costco is a very good company, and one that treats it's workers better than any of the big boxes. Good wages and great benefits. If one family or two households bought stuff in bulk and split it up it would offset the price of membership within a month. Also, please do some research on the horrible state of our meat production; most of our ground meat is made from a half dozen or more 'trimmings' ingredients from different countries. Our packaging plants do NOT routinely test all the ingredients for e-coli, salmonella and other bad things until AFTER it's all combined. They said "No one would sell to us if they knew we tested their products alone" How this is allowed in American is unbelievable, and we have all seen how hard it is to trace the source when there is a deadly outbreak.
Well, COSTCO, is the ONLY big reseller who will not buy any meats from packagers who do not inspect everything.

[balancedsolution]

yes impatient...

republicans all over the country are realizing they have been bamboozled and in need of government support. that is why we need to make sure everyone has affordable quality health insurance.

costco is going to take food stamps, but who needs 5 lbs of apples at once? sometimes it's cheaper to buy by the piece, but i do applaud costco! they are a good company

you know it's hard times when people spend an awful lot of time eating the "Samples" they give!

Plus are they going to allow these people with food stamps free membership? That would be very nice.

[impatient]

My best friend in the world: She and her whole family are life long republicans and were the types of people sending out those chain emails before the election ----the things like 51 things Obama lied about --- and I used to get FURIOUS with her. For the first 6 months after the election we were not on speaking terms because I called her whole family racist idiots.

However, we have once again reconciled. We have agreed not to discuss politics.

She is a single mother, has moved into a home that has 3 tiny rooms, and just barely one she can afford. She is recovering from breast cancer, and can only work a part-time job, after having been drummed out of the mortgage broker industry in the failed economy of the last year. (she swears she never made an unethical mortgage). She delayed her breast cancer treatment because her job did not provide health care. Now her daughter is accepting free school lunches and she is supporting herself with the last of her savings. She is wondering about applying for food stamps, wonders if it would be unethical, and whether she would have to use them far away so that none of her daughters school friends would see her using food stamps.

I would say that if 10% of the American public is flat out unemployed, with countless others underemployed, more power to Costco for facilitating frugality. America's Republicans are learning compassion and humility.

[HotheadPaisen]

They're not 'stamps' any more. It's a loaded debit card. No one will know. I can not for the life of me imagine how a mother would wonder if it's 'ethical' to accept help feeding children. Maybe republicans do eat their own brains. I can't understand them.

[johnnygoodwud]

cyoohoos,,­,,,,,,,,,y­ou have obviously never been to a costco. first of all i believe the membership is now $50.00, not $30.00. second they have some of the best produce i have ever seen. my brother who retired as the pres. of one of the largest food chains in the u.s. (no not costco) said for the price their quality can't be beat. next time perhaps do a little research before yapping.

[nextuser]

same old same old. stock market surging. more job loss. no heath care reform. no extension of unemployment benefits. more old cr4p.

good articles; http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

no point in voting

[mamacat]

It is about time, although I wonder how someone on food stamps can afford the yearly Costco membership fee.

[impatient]

You can split the fee with friends, and as long as the person on the card is along at every shopping trip, it works out pretty well. So for example, if 4 friends go in on a membership together, and schedule twice monthly shopping trips, then they spend only $12.50 on the yearly membership fee. The key is to find someone willing to go every single time.

[HotheadPaisen]

exactly. My sisters household and mine have done this for years. Costco is great! And excellent quality fresh foods and fresh baked goods- not just bulk cans and stuff. Heck we even get all our tires there.

[ILuvBubbles]

First Wall Street now Costco figures.

[ResearchtheFacts]

Boycotting Black Friday is the Kickoff!

During the 12 days of Christmas another American gave to me…food, clothing and shelter, lobbying for me. Lowering of GDP, stock market crashing with no stock market trading. Poor media ratings, no unneccessary purchasing and bank withdrawing. Another day of hope, survival and possible future job for me. Happy Holidays from the citizens of America!

Spread the word and good cheer!

For this holiday season for the best interest of American citizens struggling to make ends meet, or to get through another day of joblessness and hopelessness everywhere across our nation. Let’s, the rest of us still surviving the economic crisis throw a financial revolt by not buying into the consumerism of the holidays. Basically, only purchase what we essentially need and leave the cheap Chinese crap on the shelves. Beforehand writing or calling congress, making it clear if they don’t start doing something proactive that we can see or approve of to help the plight of ordinary Americans over Wall Street or the Banking Industry then this country can look for other ways to make up for the GDP losses else where. Hey congress, get it from the banking industry or Wall Street.

http://hiteminthewallet.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/american-citizens-should-we-stage-a-financial-blackout-for-this-christmas

[HotheadPaisen]

As someone who worked retail for many years, I always boycott Black Friday and hope everyone else does too. A guy was trampled to death at walmart by the opening crush last year. Wonder what joys Sam kiddies will think up this year....Make all the employees start at 3 AM after Thanksgiving?

[themodernleader]

The Republican "free enterprise system" with help form Clinton on trade policy and banking deregulation, has crashed this economy into bankruptcy. How? There is no buying power from the lower 80% of the people who are losing their jobs and homes and future. And our products are made overseas.
if and when the government stops borrowing and printing money to distribute through unemployment, welfare and other programs, there will be mass starvation and freezing as food, electricity, gas and water will be out of reach of tens of millions of desperate citizens.
That is why we must immediately begin a strategy to rebuild and reemploy as if we were in a war of national survival. To waver or follow our present course is an act of negligence, ignorance and gross incompetence and treason. President Obama, pay attention to the facts and events around you. Act intrepidly and courageously are resign and let your Vice President try his hand. The danger and peril is increasing by the hour and day.

[ILuvBubbles]

Exactly, we don't build anything and now many service jobs are being outsourced to India cause of the cheap labor. So how is the middle class suppose to live?

[nopilikia]

The Middle Class in America needs to be put on the endangered species act. Costco to accept food stamps is a look at wants in store for America in the years to come. That cheap labor in India is also highly educated. America's K thru 12 education system is a joke. We can see the fruit of that neglect splashed across the nations newspapers daily.

[speciallady2003]

I would have thought they had to.

[proud2bemoderate]

Hopefully McDonalds is next. Then the circle will be complete

[impatient]

I don't follow. What's wrong with Costco?

[cyoohoos]

If you're on food stamps, how can you afford the 30 dollar fee to join CostCo? Plus they don't take manufacturer coupons. Then neither does Sams.

All this is a way of them pushing more of their pre-packaged, salt and fat rich, frozen foods at people who should be buying fresh fruits and veggies instead of a four pack of frozen pizzas or a 12 pack of sodium laced soup.

Shame on Costco.

[nopilikia]

Probably weren't on food stamps and already had cards. Just victims of the Bush and now Obama stimulus plans for the obscenely wealthy.

[impatient]

See comment above. You can split the $50 fee (the fee hasn't been $30 in a very long time).

[nopilikia]

I know. Plus one family member gets a card free. They took a coupon last time I got batteries

[HotheadPaisen]

No cyoohoos. Costco has the best fruits and veggies and at better prices than most grocery stores. They sell great salads and many many healthy alternatives to the foods you object to. Their pharmacy is also ALWAYS The cheapest in town. Their meat inspections superceede federal guidelines many times over. The savings I get at costco pay for the membership fee, And yes, I'm laid off too, so I gotta buy what's best.

[coveark]

Good for them......It surprises me that it took them so long.

[sc300nc]

Welcome to ObamaLand, where the majority of people will have food stamps due to the administrations mishandling of the economy.

[coveark]

Food stamps have helped the people of America feed their families for DECADES.

It is an excellent program.

[KIVPossum]

I like it, it feeds people. But it has some faults that should be corrected. When you can use food stamps to buy a pre-made birthday cake, it's not going for the purpose intended. Need to tighten up on what food items are eligible.

[cyoohoos]

I'd rather live in ObamaLand than a Bush war field every day of the week.

[bzb]

Is that Rush talking?

[pearls92]

No........­......this is compliments of the Bush Administration

[ILuvBubbles]

"The fundamentals of the economy are strong" - John McCain. The day before the market crashed and nearly but the World in a depression.

[BassCadet]

Costco is playing with fire here.

I certainly hope they fully understand the impact of having welfare recipients shopping in their stores. This will drive away the upper-to-middle class shoppers (Costco's current bread and butter) quicker than spit.

It's not so much that Costco is cheaper than shopping elsewhere, it's that they provide premium/name-brand goods for very affordable prices. I do not think it is a good idea for people on a budget to be shopping there as it is still cheaper to buy off-brand foods and groceries from Wal-Mart or other local grocers.

[bzb]

What do welfare recipients look like and how would you know if your next door neighbor is not receiving assistance?

[yappnmutt]

the poster kinda misses the point. one of the fears of the costco shopper was that costco would trend towards the sam's club model if food stampers were allowed to shop at costco.

sam's club sells much lesser grade stuff at cheap prices. costco sells grade a stuff for cheaper prices. a savvy shopper can see the difference. if costco lowers their standards there is no reason to shop there. if costco lowers their standards to attract food stampers a lot of people could stop shopping there. i would be one of them.

the other concern was "shrinkage" increases. regardless of the fact that most food stampers are good people caught in a bad circumstance there a large number of food stampers who deal with their circumstances in the most nefarious ways. i'd rather not have to mingle with them if i don't have to.

[BassCadet]

I completely understand your point and take note of it.

However, the cold, hard facts are that well-heeled people will simply flee from shopping in stores which draw unsavory (to them) sorts. My city is peppered with dead shopping and residential areas, areas that attracted lower income people that drove everyone else away. It's not a race thing, this is beyond "white flight" as the basis being class instead of race.

You are well-meaning but entirely naive on this matter.

[Kiri sute gomen]

Very good question!

[Lerrin]

Agreed- fanned.
Those who are most offended likely most resemble those whom they fear, KNOW it, and are in uncomfortable denial.
We had a similar issue when an Aldi constructed a store near a (nice but NOT elite) subdivision. People pitched a fit that it would attract drug dealers and prostitutes (no kidding- these were the words of people expressing concerns at the public zoning meetings!) Never mind that Aldi bent over backwards to construct a 10'wall around the parking lot (so the precious suburban elite-wannabes wouldn't have to view it).
Had a discussion about it with a friend (tenured veterinary professor, double-boarded in two separate disciplines), whose parent was also a former dean of one of the colleges of the nearby Big U, and chancellor at another Big 10 U. Well regarded, well respected, knew how to manage their money wisely.
ALL of us have shopped and DO shop at Aldi- and we all wondered why these people were making such assumptions about people who shopped at Aldi!
The Aldi went in, no drug dealers or hookers to be found- a bunch of hoo-hah over nothing.

[Sammyofish]

Its hard to judge, in my area a lot of them drive band-new Cadillac Escalades and live in starter castles. Since there is basically no type of enforcement against fraudulent recipients, abuse of the system is way out of hand.

[coveark]

HELLO.....­.......man­y food stamp recipiants are working Americans or those who have become unemployed.

Snobbery may work for you and the Upper to Middle class shoppers but Cosco knows what it is doing.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

It's not even stamps it's a frigging card that looks like a credit card to anybody in range. Depending upon the register you either have to say ebt or not even have to say a word. Just zip the card in the card slot then press a button then input a pin number.