Costco’s switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola drinks at its food courts is underway.
The change at Costco’s food courts “began rolling out across all Costco warehouses” at the beginning of July, The Coca-Cola Company said in a statement to FOX Business.
All of Costco’s food courts will offer Coca-Cola products by the fall.
It comes at a time when President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that Coca-Cola was going to switch to using cane sugar as a sweetener instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola has neither confirmed nor denied Trump’s claim. However, it has thrust the drink maker into a brighter spotlight despite its market dominance.
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The warehouse retailer’s change to Coca-Cola beverages may not come as a surprise to members considering Costco CEO Ron Vachris said in January the company would be “converting our food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola” this summer.
It nonetheless marks a big change for Costco food courts, which had offered Pepsi products since 2013.
“Costco insiders and Coca-Cola fans are buzzing about the transition, which will span warehouses in 14 countries, allowing Costco members everywhere to once again enjoy their favorite Coca-Cola beverages alongside Costco’s beloved food court offerings,” Coca-Cola told FOX Business.
Some social media users have posted photos of Costco food courts to Reddit with a Coca-Cola cup visible in the signage for its popular hot dog and soda combo in recent days.
Food courts are one of the many ancillary businesses Costco offers at warehouses along with gas stations, optical departments, hearing aids and tire installation.
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Costco has said its ancillary businesses encourage members to make trips to the warehouse retailer more often.
Globally, as of Wednesday, the company’s footprint spanned 908 warehouses, with 625 of them located in the U.S., according to a press release.
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Vachris said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call in late May that it expects to reach 914 locations worldwide by the end of its fiscal year.
In August, seven Costco openings are planned, with warehouses launching in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., according to a page on the retailer’s website.
Costco will release its fourth-quarter financial results in late September.
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