Costco begins swapping out Pepsi products at food courts
Back in January, CEO Ron Vachris confirmed Costco would convert its 'food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola.' The switchover was expected to happen this summer, and, according to Reddit users claiming to be employees and customers, it has.
In a statement to Nexstar, The Coca-Cola Company confirmed that its products began rolling out to Costco food courts on July 1.
'The news is true: Costco's legendary hot dog combo just got an ice-cold Coca-Cola upgrade.'
Redditors across the U.S. shared that their local Costco warehouse had switched over, including locations in Tucson, Arizona; Fremont and Lakewood, California; Tampa; Chicago; St. Louis; Cherry Hill, New Jersey; and Nashville, among others. One user even shared a photo from Sendai, Japan.
Why Costco, Sam's Club typically have lower gas prices than other stations
The changeover at Costco food courts in 14 countries is expected to be completed fall of this year. All locations will receive traditional fountain units, not the Freestyle machines you may find at other retailers and restaurants.
Photos posted to Reddit show traditional soda fountains with eight dispensers each. Available offerings include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, and Minute Maid Lemonade. In some photos, Fuze Tea was an option, while others showed Powerade instead.
Costco did not immediately respond to Nexstar's requests for additional information.
Prior to Vachris' announcement, rumors had been circulating for months that Costco was planning to bring Coke back to the food court, drawing support from customers online. One Reddit user warned it 'better not be a December fools prank' while another said the then-rumor made their 'whole day.'
Pepsi had been at Costco food court fountains for more than a decade, replacing Coca-Cola in 2013. When Costco swapped Coke for Pepsi, it was a move to help keep its beloved hot dog at $1.50.
Costco has repeatedly reassured consumers over the last few years that it would not raise the price of its hot dog and soda combo, even as consumer prices rose and membership fees climbed. The combo has been available for $1.50 since the mid-1980s.
The warehouse giant isn't the first to swap soda suppliers in recent years.
Subway dropped Coke products for Pepsi last year. In early 2023, the Midwest fast-casual chain Culver's announced it was replacing Pepsi products with Coke, leaving some fans disappointed. Customers called it an 'all-time blunder' and one of the 'saddest' moments in their lives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Little-known rule prevents a Social Security benefit cut in 2026
Social Security retirement benefits are based on average wages during your working life, but your benefits don't stay the same during your retirement. In fact, the amount of the benefit changes pretty much every year. Benefits, of course, can't just stay stagnant because prices do not stay the same. Inflation happens, and retirees have to be able to maintain their buying power, especially as a Gallup poll shows around 58% of retirees consider Social Security to be a "major" source of their retirement income. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter There are a couple of key factors that affect exactly how Social Security benefits can change on an annual basis. Unfortunately, based on those factors, there could be a risk of a benefit cut for some seniors next year. Fortunately, however, there is a little-known rule that will prevent that from happening. Here's why retirees could risk benefits decreasing in 2026, along with the rule that can save seniors from this fate. Image source: Shutterstock To understand why Social Security retirees risk a cut to benefits next year, you'll have to take a look at the two big factors that affect how benefits change over time. Those factors are: The Cost of Living AdjustmentMedicare premiums The Cost of Living Adjustment, or COLA, is built into Social Security to help protect buying power for retirees. Since prices go up, benefits have to go up, and the law allows for annual benefit increases based on changes to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Related: Social Security's 2026 COLA will be good news for older Americans CPI-W is created by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and tracks prices on a basket of goods and services over time. The average change to CPI-W is calculated for the third quarter of each year (July, August, and September), and retirees are given a Cost of Living Adjustment (aka a Social Security raise) on the basis of how CPI-W numbers changed. Based on how the CPI-W numbers have been trending this year, including July's number included in the calculation, it's estimated that the COLA is going to be 2.7% next year. So, Social Security checks could, in theory, rise by 2.7%. However, we can't forget about Medicare premiums. And that's where the problem comes in. For most retirees, Medicare premiums come right out of Social Security checks. And those premiums are going up a lot. The 2025 Medicare Trustees' annual report, which was released in June, shows a $21.50 per month premium increase is coming next year, raising premiums from $185.00 to $206.50. This adds up to an 11.6% increase, and it is the biggest year-over-year increase in Part B premiums since 2022, when premium prices surged by 14.5%. Related: Millions of Medicare beneficiaries could see major price shock Unfortunately, depending on how the final COLA numbers shake out, Medicare premiums could eat up all of the Social Security raise retirees get. And, for those with lower retirement checks, the big premium increase could cause payments to go down if Medicare premiums exceeded the benefits increase. Fortunately, that can't happen, thanks to a little-known rule called the Hold Harmless provision. This rule guarantees that even if Medicare costs rise faster than benefits do, seniors will not see their payments cut. Instead, their entire raise will simply disappear. Then, they will pay less than the full Medicare premium due for a while. For those who are underpaying Medicare premiums, they will eventually catch up in later years when the amount of their raise is big enough that it allows them to go back to paying the full amount of premiums without suffering a benefit decrease. The Hold Harmless provision doesn't apply to people enrolling in Medicare for the first time in 2022, nor to those who pay an income-related monthly adjustment amount premium or who are also enrolled in Medicaid and have Medicare premiums paid by a state Medicaid agency. More on retirement: Dave Ramsey offers urgent thoughts about MedicareJean Chatzky shares major statement on Social SecurityTony Robbins has blunt words on IRAs,401(k)s Still, this rule will be important to some retirees in 2026 to stop a Social Security benefit cut, even if most people have probably never heard of it. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
Earnings playbook: The reporting season heats up with Alphabet and Tesla on deck
The corporate earnings season heats up this week with some of the largest companies in the world set to report. More than 100 S & P 500 names are scheduled to post their latest quarterly figures, including Tesla, Alphabet and Coca-Cola. Those numbers come after a solid start to the reporting period. Of the roughly 59 S & P 500 names that have posted results, 86% have topped expectations, according to FactSet. Among those are Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. Take a look at CNBC Pro's breakdown of what to expect in this week's key reports. All times are ET. Tuesday Coca-Cola is set to report earnings before the bell, followed by a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Last quarter: KO maintained its full-year outlook and said it expects tariff disruptions to be "manageable." This quarter: Analysts polled by LSEG expect roughly flat year-over-year earnings and revenue from the beverage giant. What to watch: Investors will look for updates on whether the company will move forward with a plan to switch to cane sugar from high fructose corn syrup for its drinks the U.S. — like President Donald Trump announced last week. "We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca-Cola brand," the company said in a statement. "More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca-Cola product range will be shared soon." What history shows: Data from Bespoke Investment Group shows the company has beaten earnings expectations for five straight quarters. Wednesday Chipotle Mexican Grill is set to report earnings after the close, followed by a call at 4:30 p.m. Last quarter: CMG said it was seeing a "slowdown" in consumer spending . This quarter: Analysts see a slight decline in year-over-year earnings for the fast casual chain, LSEG data shows. What to watch: BMO upgraded Chipotle last week ahead of the company's earnings report, expecting strong results in the latter half of 2025. "We expect improving absolute performance and a widening gap to the industry to warrant a higher multiple," BMO said . What history shows: Chipotle has a strong track record around earnings. Bespoke data shows the company beats earnings estimates 78% of the time. The stock also averages a 1.6% advance on earnings days. Alphabet is set to report earnings after the closing bell, with a call slated for 4:30 p.m. Last quarter: GOOGL reported earnings and revenue that easily beat analyst expectations. This quarter: The Street sees double-digit earnings and revenue growth for Google's parent company, per LSEG. What to watch: BofA's Justin Post raised his estimates on Alphabet last week, calling for an earnings beat. "2Q positives could include: 1) Commentary suggesting ad spend has accel. since April, 2) Strong search results suggesting AI integration aiding monetization (lowering rev. reset risk), 3) YouTube beat on easy y/y comps, and 4) Cloud strength from added capacity & Workspace AI integration," he said in a note. What history shows: Alphabet earnings have beaten expectations for nine straight quarters, per Bespoke. Shares also average a 1.3% advance on earnings days. IBM is set to report earnings after after the close, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. Last quarter: IBM maintained its full-year guidance and posted first-quarter earnings and revenue that beat expectations . This quarter: Analysts polled by LSEG expect year-over-year earnings to have grown by nearly 9%. What to watch: Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring raised his price target to $253 from $233, though he kept his rating at equal weight. "Our Software and Consulting trackers lean cautiously ahead of 2Q earnings, but a weak USD supports CY25 FCF upside vs. Street. At $283, we believe FCF upside is already priced in, thus we lean tactically cautious into 2Q EPS; though 2Q is unlikely to fully break stock momentum," he said. What history shows: IBM beats earnings expectations 84% of the time, according to Bespoke. However, the stock averages a 0.5% slide on earnings days. Tesla is set to report earnings after the bell. A call with analysts and management is set for 5:30 p.m. Last quarter: TSLA reported a 20% drop in auto revenue, driving a first-quarter miss . This quarter: LSEG data shows analysts expect the electric vehicle maker to report a 20% year-on-year earnings decline. What to watch: Investors might not know what to expect from Tesla's report. Barclays analyst Dan Levy, who has an equal weight rating on shares, said the setup into the Q2 print is "confusing." He pointed to weak fundamentals for the company, but added that Tesla could get a boost from its conference call, which presents an opportunity for the company's "robotaxi/AV narrative to shine." What history shows: Tesla shares have risen after the past two earnings releases despite the company missing analyst expectations.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
All Social Security Retirees Should Do This on Oct. 15
Key Points Social Security recipients rely on cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to stay afloat. COLAs are based on third-quarter inflation data. Retirees on Social Security will want to tune in for a big announcement that should arrive in mid-October. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › If you're someone who collects Social Security and those benefits constitute the bulk of your retirement income, then covering your expenses may be somewhat of a struggle. Or it may be a very big struggle, depending on where you live and what your bills look like. The reality is that it's hard to live primarily on Social Security even in the best of times. If you're an average earner, those monthly benefits will take the place of about 40% of your pre-retirement paychecks. And most retirees need a lot more replacement income than that to maintain a decent standard of living. But living mostly on Social Security has become even more challenging in recent years, thanks to rampant inflation. Although inflation has cooled over the past year or two, it seems stuck in an elevated pattern. Higher costs have put a strain on many seniors' budgets, forcing them to make hard choices. If you're someone who's very reliant on Social Security, then you're probably eager to find out what your upcoming cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will amount to. The bad news is that it's too soon to have that information. The good news is that there's an easy way to know exactly when that official announcement will come through. What we know about 2026's Social Security COLA so far Even though inflation has been persistently elevated this year, it hasn't been out of control. And that's a good thing in terms of living costs. It's a less favorable thing in the context of Social Security COLAs, though, since those annual raises are directly tied to inflation. More specifically, Social Security COLAs are based on movement in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). When there's a rise in the CPI-W year over year, Social Security benefits get a boost. When there's no increase or a decrease, benefits remain flat. Initial estimates are not calling for a particularly generous Social Security COLA in 2026. That could change if inflation starts to pick up in the next month or two. But that's also not a desirable outcome, as it would undoubtedly put a strain on seniors (and consumers in general). When 2026's Social Security COLA gets announced Social Security COLAs are specifically based on third-quarter CPI-W data. For this reason, the Social Security Administration (SSA) makes an official COLA announcement each year in October. This year, September's CPI-W reading should be released on Oct. 15. So, that's the day to tune in for the biggest Social Security announcement of the year. You can specifically check out the SSA's news section for more information. In addition to releasing COLA details in mid-October, the SSA should be unveiling key changes to the program for 2026, including: The wage cap for Social Security taxes The maximum monthly benefit The earnings-test limit The amount of earnings needed to earn work credits It's a big day for Social Security, and it's a good day to pay attention to the news. Once you know what Social Security COLA you're looking at for the new year, you can prepare financially -- for better or worse. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. One easy trick could pay you as much as $23,760 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Join Stock Advisor to learn more about these Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. All Social Security Retirees Should Do This on Oct. 15 was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
