The best part of visiting Costco stores is being suspended due to Coronavirus worries. According to a post on Reddit, some Costco stores in the United States are pulling their free food samples as a way to prevent the spreading of germs during this time. Business Insider confirmed the news, stating that a spouse of a Costco Manager reached out and shared that Costco samples would be stopping until further notice.
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No More Costco Samples?
A Costco representative shared with TODAY that the drop of product demonstrations by CDS (Club Demonstration Services) would be immediate. "Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, there are no food product samples," they shared on Thursday.
It makes sense that the warehouse store would stop giving out samples to prevent the spread of coronavirus, especially since most people go from one snacking sample tray to the next without washing their hands in between. In the midst of the current coronavirus fears, I can't imagine eating samples from any grocery store.
Along with stopping samples, Costco shoppers have started to notice other precautionary measures taking part in various Costco locations. One Twitter user shared during a recent visit to Costco they witnessed employees wiping down each shopping cart individually before handing them over to the customer. They also noted that the location has been receiving truckfuls of toilet paper every night to keep with demand.
Went to Costco today. Thanks to the coronavirus/ covid-19, they had employees standing at the carts and wiping each one down with disinfectant wipes before giving to each customer. They?ve also stopped their sample stations, and have been getting truckloads of t/p in each night.
— Scott Hanes?? (@Thee_Scott_H) March 7, 2020
Costco isn't the only grocery store stepping up its fight against COVID-19. According to Fox Business, grocery store Trader Joe's has changed the way they give out samples. Instead of setting out plates of samples, employees have started making samples individually for customers to prevent multiple people from touching it. All samples must be served with a fork or spoon as well to prevent customers from using their hands to touch the food.
It seems like this might be the beginning of growing coronavirus concerns, so just remember to wash your hands regularly.
