Costco is hoping that by reviving key parts of its store experience, it can entice more shoppers to visit and boost sagging sales growth.
The company shut down store sampling in March and cut ties with its main sampling vendor soon after. It’s not clear what its food sampling stations, which formerly appeared in high-traffic areas of the store and tended to be customer gathering spots, will look like in the pandemic era. Safety restrictions could fundamentally alter the experience for shoppers. But bringing back tiny portions of snacks and beverages also promises to re-inject some of the much-needed treasure hunt vibe the company relies on.
