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Costco hopes to resume sample giveaways 'soon,' but stops work with contractors who distributed them: report

By Michael Bartiromo Fox News
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Costco is looking to resume giving away samples “as soon as possible,” but perhaps without the workers who usually manage that task, according to a new report.

In early March, Costco had stopped distributing samples of food to customers amid rising concerns of the growing coronavirus outbreak. The workers in charge of that task — who were employed by a contracting company called Club Demonstration Services (CDS) — were reassigned to cleaning roles within the warehouses, Buzzfeed News has reported.

COSTCO CHANGING MEMBERSHIP POLICY TO CONTROL HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN ENTER AT ONCE

Now, Costco will no longer be employing the services of CDS, according to a letter to warehouse managers reportedly obtained by the outlet.

Contract employees with CDS are no longer be working at Costco, according to an internal email obtained by Buzzfeed News. Among their duties, CDS workers were responsible for distributing samples.

Contract employees with CDS are no longer be working at Costco, according to an internal email obtained by Buzzfeed News. Among their duties, CDS workers were responsible for distributing samples. (Callaghan O'Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“Over the past 4 weeks you have all partnered with our CDS teams to increase warehouse sanitation for our members and employees,” Costco COO Ron Vachris reportedly wrote in the letter, issued to store managers on Monday. “As our traffic in the warehouses has slowed due to various state directives, we will assume these duties with Costco employees effective April 6th.”

Vachris added that Costco was hoping to resume giving away samples “as soon as possible,” though it was unclear if he provided a tentative date, or whether Costco’s own employees would be in charge of handing out the samples when the service resumes.

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A representative for Costco did not comment on the status of CDS workers at its warehouses when asked by Fox News, explaining that the company was too preoccupied with keeping shelves stocked to respond to individual queries.

Shoppers are seen lining up to enter a Costco store in Tacoma, Wash., on March 20.

Shoppers are seen lining up to enter a Costco store in Tacoma, Wash., on March 20. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Sources for Buzzfeed News claim they were notified that their services would no longer be needed at Costco on Sunday. There were roughly 30,000 CDS workers employed at global Costco locations as of last month, Business Insider reported, with the majority working at U.S. locations.

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Since discontinuing samples, Costco has also made other modifications to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 among employees and customers, such as increasing its sanitization protocols, limiting store hours, changing its refund policy, and limiting the number of people allowed to accompany members inside the warehouses.