• Many people associate Costco with bulk deals to save money.
• But the warehouse store chain also sells pricier items you might not expect to find there.
• As its chairman told Chief Executive magazine, "Affluent people love a good deal."

Gold bars. Rolex watches. 10-karat diamonds. Porsches.

These luxury items aren't what you'd typically associate with Costco, but Chairman Hamilton "Tony" James says pricier items like these are an integral part of Costco's strategy just the same.

James, who has sat on Costco's board since 1988, explained the company's approach to appealing to wealthier members in an interview with Chief Executive magazine published Thursday.

"Most members are average-income earners nationally, but we also have affluent members with two times the average income. That gives us the ability to do remarkable things," he said. "Since the beginning, we've always known we could move anything in volume if the quality was good and the price was great — Rolex watches, Dom Perignon, 10-karat diamonds. A Porsche dealer in Seattle put their cars on the floor of a Costco, and they sold out in a week."

In other words, "Affluent people love a good deal," he said.

Data from consumer analytics firm Numerator on the typical Costco customer say the membership warehouse chain was more popular with higher-income millennial and Gen X households than many of its peers in the year through June 2024.

Costco's pricier offerings over the years have included products like a $400,000 diamond ring, a Bugatti electric scooter, a freestanding wine cellar, and a 6-person indoor sauna.

The company also sells gold bars and silver coins.

James is unsure, though, "if affluent people are buying them or just people suspicious of the economy."

Analysts have estimated Costco sells roughly $200 million of gold and silver a month, and former CFO Richard Galanti has said its supply usually sells out within hours.

"We're not interested in selling just anything at a low price," James said. "If someone wants to buy a $500 TV for $250 at Costco, we want to sell them a $1,000 TV for $500 instead. We're always trying to find better items to sell to members, giving them a great deal. We're by no means a dollar store. At the same time, we're always trying new things like gas stations, large products like appliances, pharmacies."

And if in doubt, there's always the famous $1.50 hot dog combo.

• As a mom of five, I often spend about $1,000 on my monthly Costco runs.
• I love buying snacks like the Pure Organic fruit bars and Power Up premium trail mix.
• I like pairing the Kirkland Signature street-taco kit with frozen shrimp.

It takes a babysitter, two carts, half a day, and — sadly — about $1,000 for me to shop at Costco each month. Costco runs for my family of 7 come at a serious cost, but the bulk warehouse has been a lifesaver for us.

Here are a few of the many items that make it into my cart while shopping for my large family at Costco.

Protein shakes are great for busy carpool nights.

On the average Tuesday, I typically try to get dinner on the table between work and sports. However, I love grabbing a Fairlife protein shake as a quick meal when I don't have time to eat.

I drink these over ice and sometimes even mix them with an iced coffee.

Costco's croissants make great breakfast sandwiches.

Breakfast sandwiches can be pricy, so I like to make my own and freeze the rest.

I typically fry 10 to 15 eggs on a griddle and put them on a croissant with bacon or sausage (all of which I purchase at Costco).

Weekday breakfasts are smooth(er) sailing with this go-to meal prep option.

The Kirkland Signature street tacos are a hearty meal.

I love grabbing the Kirkland Signature street-taco kit, which includes chicken, lettuce, tortillas, limes, salsa, and a cilantro-lime crema.

However, I like pairing it with frozen shrimp to get the most out of this kit. This way, when the chicken is gone but we have leftover tortillas and fixings, we can enjoy shrimp tacos another night.

Sometimes, I even fry up the chicken and shrimp separately on the same night for more options.

I love pairing Fresh Earth russet potatoes with Kirkland Signature chili.

For a quick and easy meal-prepped lunch, I love grabbing a big bag of Fresh Earth russet potatoes and a container of the Kirkland Signature chili.

It also makes a great Sunday night dinner. I like to bake the potatoes for just over an hour with oil and salt, wrap them in foil, leave them in the Crock-Pot, and throw the chili in a pot to pour on top.

My kids think the Pure Organic fruit bars taste like candy.

I recommend the Pure Organic fruit bars for parents looking to replace junk food with a slightly more nutritious alternative.

These bars, made with real fruit purees and juices, have replaced Fruit Roll-Ups and other gummy foods in the snack pantry.

My kids think they're eating candy, and the bars are easy to throw in the car or diaper bag for a quick snack.

The Power Up premium trail mix is one of my favorite snacks.

Finding a quick snack that's nutritious, properly portioned, and not in the form of a protein bar can be difficult.

That's why I love grabbing the variety pack of Power Up premium trail mix. The small bags come in three varieties, each with a combination of nuts and dried fruits. One even comes with tiny chocolate chunks.

Makeup wipes are essential for sports parents.

Baseball and football moms know that makeup wipes are a must for removing eye black after games. They also work great on not-so-washable markers, face paint, and spirit-day makeup.

Neutrogena makeup wipes can be pricey at the drugstore, but I've found they're more affordable in bulk at Costco.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

• It's hard to spend time alone with my husband between work and our busy kids' schedules.
• Our weekly trip to Costco is often our only opportunity to sit down for a meal together.
• The Costco food court may not be glamorous, but just being together is what matters most.

When my husband and I first started dating, we loved having meals together at hole-in-the-wall restaurants with a cozy, romantic vibe. Sometimes, we'd even splurge on a nicer spot to celebrate occasions like birthdays.

When our kids were younger, it was hard to go out on dates because babysitters were expensive and tough to find. But we made it a priority to go out to eat at least once a month so we could enjoy a meal without a screaming child in the background.

We figured it would become easier to date as our kids got older. Surprisingly, the opposite happened.

As our kids entered their tween and teen years, they became busier with activities — soccer, basketball, martial arts, and music lessons, to name a few. These days, between working our jobs and shuttling kids to various places, there's pretty much no time to get away for a romantic meal.

So, a while back, we decided to forgo romance and focus on "us time." We found that escaping to the superstore, Costco, offered the best opportunity to not just stock our fridge but also grab a quick meal together.

We're able to buy groceries and get time alone

Shopping at Costco is a huge money-saver for my family. We go through things like bagged chips, milk, eggs, and produce quickly, and loading up on these items in bulk makes our grocery bills cheaper.

While we try to navigate Costco's aisles quickly and efficiently, my husband and I enjoy stopping to examine the ever-changing inventory. Sometimes, we'll play a little game we call "How many free samples can we snag today?"

I'm self-employed, so often, time spent in the kitchen cooking is time away from my desk. Between that and picky-eating children, I often find myself buying premade meals.

We try to limit what we buy from Costco's frozen section since some of those meals tend to be sodium-heavy. But on our last trip, we spotted giant ravioli that our kids are very likely to eat without putting up a fight, so that was a great find.

It's nice making these meal-planning decisions together on the spot. In the aisles of Costco, we become a team.

We then stop at Costco's food court for the real lunch date

I won't pretend that Costco's food court is an optimal date spot. Sometimes, we manage to eat lunch when the food court is less crowded, and that's a more pleasant experience. But that usually means heading to the store on a weekday when we're both working from home.

On weekends, Costco food court dates are a no-go. The store is so crowded on Saturdays and Sundays that you can barely see the food court, let alone get your own table.

I won't pretend that I'm in love with the food court menu as a lunchtime option. As a vegetarian, my choices are ice cream, a giant chocolate chip cookie, a smoothie, or a slice of pizza. But as someone who grew up in New York City, I have pretty high standards for pizza, and Costco's version is — let's call it "mediocre." So often, I'll get ice cream and call it lunch.

My husband almost always gets the hot dog and soda combo. At $1.50, it's hard to beat the price. He also likes the chicken bake, but I think my New York-style pizza snobbery has rubbed off on him.

We finally get a chance to catch up while eating. We appreciate the opportunity to have uninterrupted conversations, which almost never happen over a meal at home.

It's become an outing we look forward to

I wish my husband and I had more alone time during the school year. Summers are easier because sports take a break, and our evenings aren't constantly spoken for. But for most of the year, we're just so unbelievably busy that it's hard to make time for each other.

So, even though we could decide to take turns shopping at Costco for our family, we prefer to go together whenever possible.

Adding lunch dates to our Costco trips turns them into fun — and sometimes romantic — outings instead of just a chore.

• Ron Vachris is Costco's third CEO in its 40-year history.
• He started out as a forklift driver for Price Club, which later became Costco.
• In 2024, Costco made $254 billion in revenue, and Vachris took home $12.2 million.

The story of Ron Vachris is an aspirational one.

After starting his career in the 1980s as a forklift driver, he worked his way up to become Costco's CEO and president, guiding the wholesaler through unprecedented growth.

When Vachris took over as CEO in January 2024, he became only the third person to hold the title in Costco's 40-year history.

Founder Jim Sinegal ran the company from its start in 1983 to 2011 before passing the baton to Craig Jelinek, who was CEO from 2012 to January 1, 2024.

Under Vachris' leadership, Costco has continued to grow — it reported a record $254 billion in revenue in 2024 — but it's made recent headlines for other reasons, too. As diversity, equity, and inclusion programs come under attack from the Trump administration, Costco has refused to change its established DEI policies.

Here's a look back at the CEO's career trajectory.

Vachris declined a request for comment from Business Insider.

Ron Vachris moved to Arizona as a teen after his father, a utility lineman, relocated the family from New York.

Ron Vachris was born in Staten Island, New York, but moved to Arizona with his family as a teenager, South Sound Business reported.

Today, the CEO lives in Sammamish, Washington, a city on the outskirts of Seattle, where Costco was founded.

Vachris is a father to three adult kids — two sons and a daughter — with his wife, Kim. He also has one granddaughter, whom he has pictures of all over his cubicle.

His free time is family time, he told South Sound Business.

"I'm pretty transparent," Vachris said. "It's about my family and my career."

In 1982, Vachris got a job with Costco's predecessor while attending community college.

Vachris joined Costco's predecessor, Price Club, as a part-time forklift driver during his winter break in 1982. He was studying business at Glendale Community College in Arizona at the time.

Price Club, which was founded in 1976 by Sol Price, was a wholesale supplier for small businesses. Customers paid a membership fee to access bargain prices, a strategy that remained when Price Club and Costco — then a fast-growing wholesale retailer that Sinegal founded in 1983 — joined forces and began operating as PriceCostco in 1993.

After getting the job, Vachris decided to build a career at the retailer.

He thought, "I'm learning more here in real life than I am at school about business," he told South Sound Business in 2024.

He spent 28 years in warehouse management positions.

Over the next 28 years with the company, Vachris wore a lot of hats.

Growing within the company in the Arizona and Colorado regions and then rising to regional management roles in the Northeast, Vachris specialized in merchandising and operations, according to Costco's website.

He worked in multiple different executive roles under then-CEO Craig Jelinek.

Jelinek joined Costco in 1984, when he got his start in operations. He was named executive vice president of merchandising in 2004, helped the store expand in Nevada and California, and oversaw areas of the company like e-commerce, food, and pharmacy.

He took over as CEO in 2012 and in less than two years, Costco's share price had gone up by 30%.

During this time, Vachris served as the company's senior vice president, general manager of the northwest region between 2010 and 2015, senior vice president of real estate development between 2015 and 2016, and executive vice president of merchandising from 2016 to January 2022.

In February 2022, Vachris was appointed president and chief operating officer.

The move signaled the company's plans for succession.

From February 2022 until the end of Jelinek's tenure as CEO in 2023, Vachris worked hand-in-hand with Jelinek in his role as president "and for many years before that," Costco said in a statement.

The statement, released in October 2023, announced Vachris would take over Jelinek as CEO at the start of 2024. It added that Vachris' ascension to the role was "the culmination of the long-standing succession plan" executed by Jelinek.

"I have total confidence in Ron and feel that we are fortunate as a Company to have an executive of his caliber to succeed me," Jelinek wrote in the same statement.

Vachris took over as CEO on January 1, 2024.

Vachris became CEO of the company when Jelinek stepped down on January 1, 2024, just over two months after his succession plan was publicly announced.

Per SEC filings, during his last year in the role, Jelinek earned a total compensation of $16.8 million, Business Insider reported at the time. This was an increase from a compensation package of $9.9 million in 2022 and $8.8 million in 2021.

Jelinek's pay was about 336 times what the median employee at Costco made in 2023, a lower CEO-to-worker compensation ratio than Walmart (933-to-1) and Target (680-to-1) that year.

In his first year as CEO, Vachris earned $12.2 million and the company continued to grow.

In 2024, Vachris received a compensation package of $12.2 million, according to a proxy statement the company filed with the SEC. It was a decrease from his predecessor's and less than the average compensation for S&P 500 CEOs in 2023, which was $15.5 million.

Vachris' pay ratio was 262 times what the median worker at Costco made that same year. The average S&P 500 CEO pay ratio in 2024 was 312 times the median employee.

In the 2024 fiscal year, Costco reported $254 billion in revenue compared to $242 billion in 2023 and $227 billion in 2022.

As customers' concerns about grocery price hikes continue, the bulk-buying experience has remained popular and the company continues to grow — in 2024, sales per warehouse went up by 3% on average. The company has steadily opened around 30 new warehouses a year and plans to open 29 more during the 2025 fiscal year, Vachris said in December.

During Vachris' tenure as CEO, Costco negotiated with unionized workers and raised wages.

On January 31, the company announced it would raise hourly pay for most workers to more than $30, with an extra $1 raise coming in each of the following two years. The raise came after union members voted to approve a nationwide Costco strike ahead of the January 31 contract expiration deadline.

During a quarterly earnings call in December, Vachris said the company was focused on reaching an agreement with the Costco union through a "fair and timely process."

"We're going to do everything we can to take care of those employees as we do all of our employees," Vachris said, referring to the 18,000 Teamsters-affiliated workers.

Costco has recently come under fire for its commitment to DEI initiatives.

After returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending DEI programs in the federal government, which prompted some companies to pull back on their DEI efforts, as well.

In January 2025, Costco shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think-tank and Costco shareholder, suggesting that the company prepare a report outlining the potential risks of its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

"We have always been purposefully nonpolitical, and a welcoming workforce has been integral to the company's culture and values since its founding," board chairman Tony James said.

Days after shareholders shut down the anti-DEI proposal, a group of 19 attorneys general led by Iowa's Brenna Bird and Kansas' Kris Kobach filed a letter to Vachris urging Costco to end its DEI practices, which it called "divisive and discriminatory."

The attorneys general also gave the company a 30-day deadline to either announce the end of DEI initiatives or explain why not.

In response, Vachris said, "The overwhelming support of our shareholders' vote really puts an answer to that question."

As the February 28 deadline approaches, business leaders and consumers will be watching Vachris and the company's response to the letter as companies continue to consider Costco's example of standing with DEI.

• January visits to club stores are up 7% from last year — double the increases for Walmart and Target.
• The strong start accelerates 2024's trend as buying in bulk gets more popular.
• US shoppers are increasingly looking for the best deals and great experiences at warehouse stores.

The hottest club in town might be your local warehouse store.

January visits to Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's were up more than 7% from last year, according to foot traffic data from Placer.ai. That's double the increases for Walmart and Target.

"It's a continuation of 2024," Kantar retail analyst Gina Logan told Business Insider.

Club store visits significantly outpaced those of Target and Walmart in each of the prior six months, according to Placer.ai's data, with the warehouse chains seeing big gains for the full year of 2024 compared to 2023.

Logan said that while inflation likely drove a lot of that bulk-buying popularity, several other forces have entered the chat this year, including weather, tariffs, and bird flu.

"The same kind of logic applies to the retailers front-loading, and I think that people are stocking up in advance as well," she said. "Costco and Sam's and BJ's are where you're going to get the lowest price per unit."

Not only are the prices often the best in town, warehouse chains also boast some of the best experiences, according to shoppers — and they're getting better.

Costco has long been the gold standard in terms of customer satisfaction across retail, but this year Sam's Club managed to snatch the top spot in the annual American Consumer Satisfaction Index rankings.

"They're really looking into things that will draw people to come to the club," Logan said, highlighting Costco's treasure hunt and new jumbo cookie, BJ's success in fresh foods and grocery, and Sam's Club's tech-enabled member experience.

At the same time, Logan said shoppers are increasingly looking to make the most of their annual membership fee — which has gotten more expensive — and choosing clubs more frequently than the monthly stock-up.

"They're becoming more of a routine and becoming more ingrained in people's shopping routines than before," she said.

The traffic gains are translating to respectable sales growth as well, according to an analysis from Morgan Stanley's retail team. Club stores saw 6.8% monthly sales growth in January, slightly ahead of off-price retailers and behind the dollar store and athleisure categories.

What makes the estimated top-line gains even more notable is that the club stores have been working to bring prices down, which means they have to sell even more stuff to beat the prior period's inflation-boosted numbers.

Official quarterly and annual results will begin to come in on Thursday when Walmart reports earnings for Sam's Club, while BJ's and Costco report in two weeks.

The numbers suggest that club stores are giving customers a strong bang for their buck, and the foot-traffic data shows customers are coming back more often.

• As a sommelier, wine is my job — and sparkling wine is my favorite.
• Costco has solid prosecco and cava as well as fancy vintage Champagne like Henriot
• There are plenty of other sparkling wines from brands like Roederer Estate and Moët & Chandon.

I wasn't sure if my husband and I would be able to get the full value out of our Costco membership, but I was wrong.

The bulk retailer has some of the best wine prices, and as a sommelier, I buy a lot of wine. Every time I go, I seem to discover something new, and I'm always looking for the best deals.

Here are some of the best sparkling wines at Costco.

The Kirkland Prosecco is a steal.

At $8 a bottle, Kirkland's prosecco is one of the most affordable sparkling wines at Costco.

Don't let the price fool you, though. This wine is from the "Superiore" area of the Italian prosecco region, meaning the winemaking standards are higher.

The Kirkland bottle is on the sweet side, and it's perfect in brunch mimosas.

Moët sells millions of bottles of its Champagne every year.

Moët & Chandon Champagne is probably the most iconic wine on this list.

As a sommelier, people often ask for a glass of Champagne whenever they want something fizzy. However, true Champagne has to be made in the Champagne region of France — trust me, it actually makes a difference.

The flavors are much more complex and layered than a standard sparkling wine. There's also something special and luxurious about Champagne.

This bottle is amazing on its own but also shines with salty snacks such as potato chips, mixed nuts, and popcorn.

Kirkland's Champagne is also hype-worthy.

You may not expect much from the Kirkland brut Champagne, but it's hard to find another bottle like it.

It's true Champagne that only costs $21 — it's rare to find a large bottle of the stuff at such a low price.

Kirkland's variety is a little lighter and fresher than some Champagnes, but if that doesn't bother you, it's a total winner.

If you've got Champagne taste on a beer budget, try cava.

Choosing cava is a great way to save money when it comes to sparkling wines.

The Spanish sparkler uses the same production method as Champagne but rarely costs more than $20 a bottle. Costco even has one from Blanchard Perez that's under $10.

Cava is generally dry, with little to no sweetness. I love serving it with appetizers and tapas.

If regions don't matter to you, Roederer Estate makes a stunning $20 sparkler.

Some big Champagne brands purchase land and make Champagne-style sparkling wines worldwide. In this case, Louis Roederer bought property in Northern California's Anderson Valley.

Its sparkling brut is a delight and only costs $20 a bottle. In comparison, the brand's true French Champagne goes for closer to $60.

I like the Californian Roederer Estate stuff so much that I served it at my own wedding.

Rosé all day — even when it comes to sparkling.

The only thing more on trend than sparkling wine is sparkling rosé, and Scharffenberger Cellars has a bottle for $19 at Costco.

The affordable Californian wine is made with grapes from Mendocino County and has a cheerful effervescence.

It pairs well with light dishes such as salad, shrimp cocktail, and smoked-salmon dip.

For when only fancy vintage Champagne will do, turn to Henriot.

I wanted to include one special, pricier wine on the list, and that spot went to the $150 bottle of Henriot at Costco.

It's a vintage Champagne, which means all the grapes were harvested the same year — in this case, 2006.

Henriot has been around for over 200 years, and it's one of the few larger brands that's still independent and family-owned. Its Champagne hits all the marks for complexity, flavor, acid, and finish.

• Egg prices have reached record highs due to egg supply issues amid a bird flu outbreak in the US.
• Some stores are imposing limits on how many eggs shoppers can buy.
• I lined up at Costco to buy eggs right when the store opened, and they sold out in minutes.

Egg supply issues in the US amid a bird flu outbreak have pushed prices to record highs and made it difficult for stores to keep cartons stocked on shelves.

In a survey conducted by Numerator, a market research firm, over half of shoppers said they'd seen shortages of eggs or found them out-of-stock at stores, including BJ's, Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, and Publix.

I visited a Costco store in New York City to see firsthand how consumers navigate egg supply issues and price hikes. Here's a play-by-play of how I managed to get one of the last cartons in the store.

9:29 a.m. — I arrived at Costco about 30 minutes before the store opened.

Manhattan's only Costco store is located at East River Plaza, a shopping complex in East Harlem.

I often have to circle the parking lot and wait for a spot when I make my usual Costco runs on Sunday afternoons, but I had no trouble finding a place to park that early.

9:34 a.m. — I spoke to a few shoppers who said they'd had trouble finding eggs in grocery stores.

Some people I spoke with said they hadn't arrived early to buy eggs but instead preferred to shop when the store was less crowded. They also said morning grocery trips worked best with their busy schedules.

When asked why they were at the store so early, two people said they'd had trouble finding eggs at other stores and had come to Costco in search of an affordable supply.

"People don't want to overpay for eggs," one shopper, who declined to give his name, told Business Insider. "That's why I stock up on them."

"It's a shame. It's a shame how much eggs cost," another shopper who asked not to be identified said.

9:55 a.m. — A Costco employee came around to scan membership cards.

I noticed scanning membership cards beforehand allowed for better traffic flow once the doors opened.

9:58 a.m. — The crowd grew as more people arrived and lined up to enter the store.

Crowds gathered outside the store by the parking lot and in the indoor vestibule leading to the warehouse entrance. I estimated that there were around 30 to 40 people between them.

10:01 a.m. — The doors opened.

It took some maneuvering for all the people and carts to fit through the doors, but overall, I found the process orderly and efficient.

Some people stopped at the entrance to scan their cards again, but employees waved them through and said that wasn't necessary if they'd been processed outside.

10:02 a.m. — I marveled at the mostly empty aisles in what's normally a crowded store.

I've shopped at Costco stores in the Midwest and Iceland. The busiest location is Costco in New York City. I'd never seen the aisles look so spacious.

10:03 a.m. — It seemed like everyone had the same destination in mind — the dairy, milk, and eggs refrigerated section.

I figured it was best to head straight there just in case the eggs went quickly.

10:04 a.m. — Success! There were still about 20 cartons left, each with two dozen Kirkland Signature large cage-free eggs.

I was surprised to find that there weren't any sets of five dozen cage-free eggs for sale, only smaller cartons with two dozen eggs.

A Costco employee told me that egg deliveries have been inconsistent and that the store's stock varies daily.

Since the Manhattan location hadn't received any eggs that morning, the cartons in stock were likely leftover from closing the day before, the employee said.

10:05 a.m. — I grabbed two cartons of eggs, one for myself and one for my neighbors, who asked me to get one for them.

My neighbors and I occasionally pick up items from Costco for each other. They bought me some cheese on their latest shopping trip, so I owed them a favor.

10:07 a.m. — The egg supply dwindled.

I stayed in the refrigerated section to see how long it would take for the eggs to sell out.

10:08 a.m. — Just eight minutes after Costco opened, all of the eggs were gone.

I watched several shoppers, who had also arrived early, walk into the refrigerated section. They seemed to express disappointment after seeing the eggs were sold out.

10:12 a.m. — I looked around to see if Costco had posted any signs limiting egg purchases, but the Manhattan location didn't appear to have any.

I saw one person with six packages of eggs in their cart, but for the most part, shoppers took one or two cartons each when I was in the store.

Some Costco locations have limited customers to three egg cartons per person, but policies appear to vary by store. Costco representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

10:31 a.m. — I paid $8.49 per carton, which was around $4.25 per dozen.

The average price of a dozen large eggs in US cities was $4.95 as of January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Costco's price during my visit was 70 cents lower than the national average.

In my experience, Manhattan's Costco usually has a small line of people waiting outside before it opens, but this shopping trip felt different. The strategic planning required to buy a carton of eggs reminded me of the frantic rush of securing Taylor Swift's Eras Tour tickets.

In this economy, eggs no longer feel like a basic grocery staple. They're a hot luxury item that flies off the shelves, available to the most devoted fans.

• A highly visible campaign against DEI is underway against companies like Costco.
• Political pressure is putting execs into a delicate balancing act over how to run their businesses.
• Experts said diversity and inclusion are more baked into corporate culture than ever.

Costco has found itself in the political crosshairs over DEI, and now some corporate leaders are left wondering who could be next.

In the meantime, some are choosing to make tweaks or changes.

On Tuesday, Disney's HR chief told employees the company is rebranding its DEI metrics and programs, as well as changing the language of some content advisories.

And last week, Google linked changes to its DEI initiatives to concerns over compliance with executive orders, as the tech giant is a federal contractor.

Although many lawsuits and shareholder proposals against diversity, equity, and inclusion have failed, experts told Business Insider that the highly publicized challenges, including executive orders from the White House, could still have a chilling effect.

Companies are walking a line. They don't want to get into legal hot water, and yet they likely don't want to be seen as retreating from the values they've espoused for years.

At the same time, the experts — two lawyers and a business researcher — say the growing pressure on CEOs to eliminate their DEI practices might ultimately amount to little practical change in some workplaces.

While some companies, most notably Costco, are digging in their heels in defense of DEI, others, like McDonald's, are taking a more conciliatory approach to the issue.

DEI policies get a facelift

The main changes companies make will likely boil down to how they communicate about their policies, both internally and externally, said Michael Thomas, a California attorney specializing in corporate diversity practices at the law firm Jackson Lewis.

Thomas said his firm has seen an increase in requests from companies to review their DEI initiatives for legal risks from clients who are also concerned about how they are perceived by employees and customers.

A major piece of the firm's legal review is examining how companies communicate about their policies and practices in websites, reports, and other filings, he said.

Indeed, some of the changes at Disney appear to be more about how the company talks about DEI.

"What won't change is our commitment to fostering a company culture where everyone belongs and everyone can excel," Disney's chief human resources officer, Sonia Coleman, said in a memo obtained by BI.

Emphasizing style more than substance could suggest a likely path forward for companies that see diversity and inclusion as beneficial to their business.

"Even Walmart and McDonald's have conceded less than meets the eye," Yale School of Management's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld told BI. "They're keeping the same principles and objectives. It's just a question of nomenclature, metrics, and bureaucracies."

McDonalds, for example, said in its memo to franchisees earlier this month that it was retiring "aspirational representation goals," swapping a broad vendor DEI pledge with direct discussions with suppliers about inclusion, and changing the name of its diversity team to be the Global Inclusion Team.

Sonnenfeld pointed to the way terms like sustainability, climate change, and pollution abatement have cycled through the corporate lingo while generally sharing a common objective of protecting the environment.

Diversity and inclusion, in many cases, have been around long enough at this point that they're often deeply embedded in corporate cultures, making it significantly harder to regulate, he said.

"It's impossible to the point of insanity to try to ferret that out," he added. "So the less modular it is, the less vulnerable they are."

Some companies may pull back

Still, the anti-DEI pressure could have other companies taking a more drastic shift, said Jon Solorzano, a partner at the law firm Vinson & Elkins who advises public and private companies on areas related to ESG and risk management.

Under this new administration, companies that may have been on the fence about DEI may decide to pull back some programs, he said.

"Different companies view this differently," he said. "Those that are probably in the more consumer-facing world are particularly sensitive to the reputational risks on both sides."

Among the major companies that BI has tracked as retreating on DEI over the past year, most follow a similar pattern: ending representation goals that could be construed as quotas for hiring or sourcing, halting participation in rankings and surveys, and reassigning DEI-focused staff and resources.

More recently, BI reported that Amazon has changed the language on its website regarding DEI. A senior AWS executive told employees in her division that there would be "no changes" to key DEI-related benefits, including a transgender benefit offered by the company.

And earlier in December, Amazon's VP of inclusive experiences, Candi Castleberry, said in a memo shared with BI that while the company was ending some "outdated" programs, it was part of an "evolution to 'built in' and 'born inclusive,' instead of 'bolted on.'"

Of course, rebranding alone is not an option at federal agencies under Trump's rules, which require a deeper review of a program's history. Private companies aren't subject to that same level of government scrutiny — for now, at least.

Last Wednesday, newly sworn-in US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department intends to "investigate, eliminate, and penalize illegal DEI and DEIA preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities in the private sector."

"They really need to balance those risks," Solorzano said in reference to companies' decision-making. "What's more risky, the reputational harm of dealing with one of these investigations or having a mutiny of their employees?"

Business leaders make a case for diversity

JPMorgan, like Costco, has also taken a strong stand in defense of diversity, equity, and inclusion and is now the target of political and activist pressure.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jamie Dimon shrugged off an investor group's opposition to JPMorgan's DEI policies. In 2020, the bank started tracking executives' progress toward DEI goals, which affects their compensation, but it doesn't disclose publicly what proportion of executive pay is linked to DEI work.

Solorzano said he believes there will likely be a "bifurcation" of companies over DEI. While many companies in recent years have adopted DEI programs, he said, "I also don't know that for every organization it was really core to their strategy."

"For places like Costco, it actually may be," he added.

In Costco's December statement to shareholders, the board said diversity "helps bring originality and creativity" to its offerings, leading to greater satisfaction for its increasingly diverse customer base.

A group of 19 Republican state attorneys general last month wrote a letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris expressing "concerns" about the company's compliance with changing state and federal laws. The AGs' letter doesn't identify any specific allegations of illegal practices.

Solozano said the scrutiny Costco is facing — and how Costco responds — is "definitely being watched by all other major consumer branded companies right now."

• As a Costco employee, I've seen lots of great items on shelves this month.
• I recommend grabbing food items like muffins, eggs, and Fairlife protein shakes at the warehouse.
• This month, Costco is carrying a cute Disney decorative village featuring lots of iconic characters.

As a Costco employee of 19 years, I love shopping at the warehouse for fun new items.

This February, the retailer is stocking its shelves with great food, unique baking accessories, and cute spring decor.

Here are nine things I recommend checking out at Costco this month.

Prices and product availability may vary by location.

I really like the new muffins available in the bakery.

In many warehouses, Costco's muffins recently received a major makeover. Previously, customers could find jumbo muffins in the bakery that had to be purchased in packs of two. Now, however, Costco has single-pack gourmet muffins available.

In my opinion, these super-moist muffins are just as delicious as their predecessors. They also come in new flavors like lemon raspberry, triple chocolate, blueberries and cream, pumpkin streusel, and cinnamon chip.

In my opinion, Costco is the best place to shop for eggs right now.

It's no secret that eggs are expensive nowadays, so I've seen customers flocking to Costco to pick up bulk cartons and save some money.

Customers at my location have been lining up before the doors even open, and typically, the eggs sell out by noon.

Costco carries eggs in a few different sizes, and prices vary by location, but I typically like to grab two dozen for $7.70.

The Disney spring decorative village is adorable.

Disney fans will love this adorable decorative spring village set, which comes with four houses and lots of character figurines. The houses even light up and play music.

Enjoy a refreshing beverage at home with the Starbucks Pink Drink.

This month, Costco is helping customers enjoy the popular Starbucks Pink Drink at home.

The strawberry-acai drink has notes of passion fruit and creamy coconut milk, and is refreshing at any time of year.

Each box contains 12 8-ounce drinks.

The Suja Organic wellness shots contain vitamins and probiotics.

The Suja Organic Immunity shots are great if you're looking to get your probiotics and vitamins in one convenient drink. Even better, these wellness shots are organic, non-GMO, vegan, kosher, and gluten-free.

The Greenfield Natural Meat Co. lunch kit is great for snacking.

If you're looking for a quick and easy lunch, I recommend checking out this lunch kit from Greenfield Natural Meat Co. Each box contains six lunch kits with meat, cheese, crackers, and cookies.

These delicious and convenient kits are ideal for school, picnics, or on-the-go snacks.

I was excited to grab the Trudeau silicone muffin pans.

I was excited to see these Trudeau silicone muffin pans at Costco and knew I had to get my hands on a two-pack.

The muffin pans are crafted from high-quality silicone, making it easy to release your baked goods. They're even dishwasher safe, so clean-up is a breeze.

My store has been selling out of the BuzzBallz Biggies.

The BuzzBallz Biggies have been flying off the shelves at my store. I've seen them in two flavors: margarita and berry-cherry limeade.

These giant BuzzBallz are ready-to-drink products that can be enjoyed chilled or over ice and contain 15% alcohol by volume.

The Fairlife protein shakes are great to enjoy after a workout.

Fairlife's Nutrition Plan shakes are one of the hottest-selling protein items at my store.

Each bottle contains 30 grams of protein and 2 grams of sugar per serving. I think these lactose-free drinks make a great post-workout snack.

• I'm a registered dietitian, and I shop for myself, my picky toddler, and my husband at Costco.
• I buy Veggies Made Great muffins and Kodiak Power Cakes flapjack and waffle mix for easy breakfasts.
• Kirkland Signature sliced peaches and Harvest Snaps are some of the best things I buy at Costco.

As a registered dietitian, I'm always on the hunt for healthier products and food options for my family that also taste delicious.

One of my favorite places to buy groceries for myself, my husband, and our picky 2-year-old is Costco, which I've shopped at for 13 years.

Here are some of my favorite things to get there.

My toddler and I both love the Veggies Made Great muffins.

Found in the frozen section, these Veggies Made Great muffins are so delicious you'd never know they contain vegetables.

My 2-year-old is in a persistent "no veggies" phase, so these often save the day. We both love the double-chocolate-chip muffins, which sneakily contain both zucchini and carrots — plus fiber-rich flaxseed meal and sorghum flour.

Oats Overnight high-protein oatmeal shakes are a hit in my house.

Oats are a great source of fiber, but my toddler only eats them in the form of a shake. So, I stock up on the tasty Oats Overnight high-protein oatmeal shakes at Costco.

They usually come in a variety pack with cookies-and-cream and chocolate-peanut-butter-banana flavors. Each shake contains a whopping 20 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.

I try to serve these to him about once a week. I love that they're easy to prepare and offer more protein than if I were to make overnight oats from scratch.

I always have at least a few premade meals from Kevin's Natural Foods in my cart.

As a busy working mom, premade entrées from Kevin's Natural Foods are a lifesaver.

Since they're already cooked through, all I need to do is sauté the protein for a few minutes before tossing it with the provided sauce.

My toddler likes Kevin's roasted-garlic chicken the most, but all the varieties we've tried so far are delicious.

Kodiak Power Cakes flapjack and waffle mix is great for making a protein-packed breakfast.

I love to offer pancakes for breakfast as something special, but regular ones often leave me feeling sluggish and hungry.

So, I use the Kodiak Power Cakes mix, which contains protein, to meal prep sheet-pan pancakes I can use for an easy protein-packed breakfast on busy weekday mornings.

That's It fruit bars are a go-to snack for my son.

I try to avoid offering fruit snacks to my son, as they often don't contain much nutrition. However, the That's It Fruit Bars are made with just fruit and no added sugar.

My son loves the taste of them, and I love that they're actually a pretty healthy snack we can get at Costco.

Kirkland Signature sliced peaches make serving fruit easy.

My toddler loves fruit, but buying it fresh can get really expensive.

I obviously want to support a diet filled with such nutritious foods, but the amount of fruit we plow through can often lead to sticker shock.

So, I like to incorporate more affordable options, like the Kirkland Signature sliced peaches. My son will gobble them up, and they're available all year, unlike fresh peaches.

Plus, as a busy mom, I like that they require minimal preparation — no need to slice or pit, just drain and eat.

Sun-Maid raisins are the ultimate shelf-stable snack.

My 2-year-old is a big fan of raisins. I'm hoping this love lasts long into his early childhood years before they become second to the more potent flavors found in candy and fruit snacks.

I stock up on the boxes of two 2-pound bags of Sun-Maid raisins at Costco because the price is far better than what I've found at my local grocery store.

Kirkland Signatures's organic fruit and vegetable pouches are the best.

In my experience, snack pouches are huge hits with picky eaters.

I love that these Kirkland Signature pouches are organic, contain fruits and vegetables, and have a short ingredient list.

Plus, they're shelf-stable. I always have a few in my purse and car for a last-ditch effort to avoid a tantrum.

My picky son really enjoys Harvest Snaps.

I try to offer my son fruits and veggies at each meal. Sometimes, Harvest Snaps' green-pea snacks are the closest my picky son will come to eating a vegetable.

Honestly, as a dietitian, I'm 100% fine with that since these contain fiber and plant-based protein, two nutrients many other salty snacks don't contain.

Aidells chicken and apple sausage is a quick, precooked source of protein.

I try to choose chicken sausage whenever a recipe calls for pork sausage, as it's often lower in saturated fat.

My favorite chicken sausage is from the brand Aidells, which I can find at Costco. We often serve the sausages as a source of protein alongside pasta and veggies for a quick, balanced meal.

I pick up a variety pack of Goodles, our favorite boxed mac and cheese.

The Goodles mac and cheeses remind me of other popular boxed mixes but with more protein and fiber.

I love giving these easy-to-prep noodles to my son for a quick dinner, and my husband and I enjoy them, too.

My whole family enjoys Just Bare lightly-breaded chicken bites.

Just Bare lightly-breaded chicken bites contain 16 grams of protein per serving and are a hit with my whole family.

We love quickly air-frying these as a source of protein for weekend lunches. To round out the meal, we usually add grapes and a few Harvest Snaps (see above).

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

• Several companies — including Walmart — have recently walked back or softened their DEI policies.
• But Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas said "openness" and "connection" remain critically important.
• "We serve all of America," he told BI. "That's the definition of being inclusive."

Corporate DEI may be in retreat, but Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas says the principles of diversity and inclusion remain as important as ever.

"If you're willing to come here and work hard on behalf of our members and form relationships that allow you to develop as a human being and as a leader, there's nothing you can't do at Sam's Club," he told Business Insider. "I think that's true also of Walmart."

Walmart, which owns Sam's Club, is one of several companies that have recently walked back or softened their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies following the election of Donald Trump.

The company said in November that it would wind down its Center for Racial Equity, stop providing data to the Human Rights Campaign, and end the use of terms like "DEI" and "Latinx" in official communications.

"We are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America," the company said at the time.

One thing that has already changed in recent years is the growth of Walmart's (and Sam's Club's) data on just about every aspect of its business, and Nicholas said that had a tremendous leveling effect.

"The data leads us to the answer," he said, "not historical views or personal proclivities."

The most obvious metric is whether something sells or doesn't. Offering only a few thousand items in a warehouse means that each product must perform well or get cut.

Beyond that, Nicholas pointed to Sam's Club's 50,000-member community of shoppers who share feedback with the company and one another. By providing a sense of welcome and belonging, the company is better able to discover unique "treasure hunt" offerings that excite members, he said.

"We serve all of America," he said. "That's the definition of being inclusive."

Sam's Club's larger rival, Costco, has also found itself in the political crosshairs over its diversity programs, which the company's board forcefully defended against a shareholder challenge.

"As our membership diversifies, we believe that serving it with a diverse group of employees enhances satisfaction," the Costco board wrote in December. "Among other things, a diverse group of employees helps bring originality and creativity to our merchandise offerings."

Nicholas said Sam's Club, too, relies on the diversity of its members and employees to find and deliver the best and most interesting products, which is good for business.

"If you get stale, people will just — you know — they won't engage with you," he said.

DEI, as it has been understood and communicated for the past decade or so, may be on the way out, but Nicholas said deeper changes are here for the long term.

"My job is to create an environment of openness and expansive thought and connection, and I think we do a really good job of that," he said.

• I'm a mom of four who loves shopping at Costco using my executive membership.
• My family likes the Kirkland Signature organic Greek yogurt and Costco rotisserie chicken.
• Costco helps me score great deals on my kids' favorite items, like berries and Goldfish crackers.

I started shopping at Costco about eight years ago. Back then, I only had one child, but Costco's price for bulk diapers was reason enough to sign up for an executive membership.

Now that I'm a mom of four, it only made sense to keep renewing that membership year after year. Here's what I buy at Costco to keep my family of six happy and full.

I always grab a rotisserie chicken for dinner on shopping days.

I'm typically exhausted after after grocery shopping, but a delicious rotisserie chicken makes dinner that night easy.

We almost always have enough leftovers for chicken tostadas the next night, and I frequently use the carcass (plus some onions, celery, carrots, and herbs) to make broth in the slow cooker.

Frozen edamame makes a great side dish.

I love making the Imperial Garden frozen edamame as a side dish with dinner. An added bonus is that it's one of the few plants my kids will actually eat.

This big bag is full of smaller portions that go from frozen to ready to eat in just three minutes in the microwave.

It pairs well with the rotisserie chicken, and sometimes, I even eat it as a salty bedtime snack.

Costco's berry selection is colorful and affordable.

My kids love berries, and although I'm happy they reach for a healthy option, the price tag for these fruits can be high.

However, I've found Costco's strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are affordable and delicious.

The whole family enjoys the Kirkland Signature organic Greek yogurt.

Everyone in our house, from my 7-month-old baby to my 34-year-old husband, loves the creamy and delicious Kirkland Signature organic Greek yogurt. It's high in protein, nonfat, and pairs perfectly with the aforementioned berries.

My 6-year-old can't get enough Goldfish.

Costco's large box of Goldfish, which includes three bags of the snack, is the only size that makes sense for my family.

I fill a bin in the snack cabinet with the cheddar crackers and store the extra in our pantry. The bin sees a lot of refills, but this giant box usually lasts us around a month.

The Kirkland Signature protein bars make the perfect grown-up snack.

My husband and I rely on Kirkland Signature protein bars for a macro-friendly snack or breakfast.

They're so delicious that I almost feel like I'm eating a candy bar. Almost.

Kirkland Signature steak strips are another great high-protein option.

I always snag a few bags of the Kirkland Signature dried-beef steak strips.

My husband usually eats these jerky snacks with his lunch, and I often grab a handful on my way out the door for school dismissal. They're quick, easy, delicious, and gluten-free.

Costco has a great selection of nut butter.

Costco has a great selection of nut butter, and I usually find myself buying more than one kind. In an opinionated household of six, everyone has a favorite spread, and they don't often overlap.

I grab almond butter for my husband, natural peanut butter for me, Nutella for my 8-year-old, creamy Jif for my 6-year-old, and crunchy Jif for my 3-year-old.

Costco's New York steaks make for a special date night at home.

It may not come as a surprise, but babysitters aren't exactly lining up at my door to watch my four kids. Instead, my husband and I like to get creative with date nights at home using Costco's beef loin New York steaks.

I can typically find a pack of five for about $50. We usually grill or reverse sear steaks on Friday nights after the kids are in bed.

• Costco and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative deal to avoid a strike.
• Costco Teamsters represents 18,000 workers nationwide who were ready to walk off the job.
• The deal will now be presented to the union's membership for a vote, a Teamsters spokesperson told BI.

Costco and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative agreement to avoid a strike, the union told Business Insider.

The union said the deal would now go to its membership for a vote and that further details would follow.

Costco Teamsters represents 18,000 workers nationwide who were ready to walk off the job after their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. PT Friday.

On January 19, Costco's unionized workers "overwhelmingly" voted in favor of a strike in their strike authorization vote, which received 85% support among those who voted. In a press release at the time, Costco Teamsters accused the company of failing to "bargain constructively" and propose a contract that "reflects the company's record-breaking profits."

"The Costco Teamsters National Negotiating Committee has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract. Additional details will be shared soon. The tentative agreement will be presented to the membership for a vote," the union, Teamsters, said in a statement.

Matt McQuaid, a Teamsters spokesperson, told BI on Friday morning that the outstanding issues at the bargaining table were wages, pensions, and increased protections of union rights.

"The Teamsters are committed to securing a fair and reasonable agreement but are prepared to take action if the wholesale giant fails to deliver," the union previously said in a social media post.

Ahead of Friday's strike deadline, Costco announced in a memo that its next Employee Agreement, which is set to go into effect in March and covers nonunion workers for three years, would include successive pay raises that push compensation to over $30 an hour for workers at the top of its pay scale.

Costco did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was made outside regular working hours.

• Some 18,000 Costco workers might walk off the job on Saturday when their contract expires.
• Ahead of the deadline, Costco announced pay raises for non-union employees.
• That move might have unintended consequences, a legal expert told BI.

The clock is ticking for Costco to strike a deal with 18,000 unionized warehouse workers threatening to strike.

The company has been negotiating with the union, Costco Teamsters, ahead of the expiration of their existing contract at the end of the day on January 31.

Against that backdrop, the company announced this week in a widely circulated memo that its 2025 Employee Agreement, which covers its nonunionized employees, would include successive pay raises that push compensation to over $30 an hour for workers at the top of its pay scale. A spokesperson from Costco did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Andrea Schneider, a law professor at Yeshiva University who is an expert in conflict resolution, told Business Insider that Costco likely made the announcement to lessen "the incentive for a strike" by assuaging concerns about stagnant wages. Compensation is commonly the motivating factor behind a work stoppage.

She added that the pay raise proposal could be the same one that Costco management offered the union. While it's a smart PR move, it might have unintended consequences, she said.

"I think Costco's response to immediately grant the salary increases to everybody is in some way to lessen that chatter and to say, 'Well, you don't need the Teamsters. We'll take good care of you. Trust us to do the right thing,'" Schneider said. "Now, the Teamsters are in a position where they have to get more than what the non-unionized would get."

Matt McQuaid, a Teamsters spokesperson, told BI that wages, pensions, and increased protections of union rights are the outstanding issues at the bargaining table on which the parties have yet to agree.

"There are still 18,000 unionized workers who know their worth and are demanding it," McQuaid said in a statement. "Don't forget Costco wouldn't even be entertaining this increase if not for the immense pressure the Teamsters are putting on them to respect their employees."

On social media, the Teamsters said Costco is offering low raises compared to the $7.4 billion in profits the company reported last year.

"So how's the company rewarding workers? By proposing less than 3 percent raises, kicking workers just $1 in the first year of a new contract. That's not even enough to buy a Costco hot dog," the union said in a Facebook post.

Earlier this month, the union voted "overwhelmingly" to go on strike should the company and the union fail to reach an agreement by the Friday night deadline.

With such strong support within the union, Schneider said Costco may have put itself in a tricky spot despite trying to protect its worker-friendly image.

"In some ways, they've made it more difficult for themselves because the union is not going to back down unless there's something more," she said. "Either there's going to be more money for the union, which is, I think, going to be very hard, or there's going to be some other kinds of benefits or protections or something like that that has to roll out for the union because the Teamsters need to demonstrate their worth. These 18,000 members are paying union dues, they're taking time to organize, they're threatening the strike. They've got to get something for that."

• Several firms have rolled back DEI efforts amid pressure from conservative groups and the White House.
• Some CEOs have voiced their support or defended the diversity programs at their companies.
• Deutsche Bank's CEO is the latest bank executive to defend DEI initiatives.

The list of CEOs who are publicly backing their companies' DEI policies is growing.

Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing is the latest, joining JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon and Goldman Sachs' David Solomon in publicly defending DEI programs amid wider external criticism of diversity initiatives from conservative activists and President Donald Trump's new administration.

One of Trump's first executive orders placed federal DEI staffers on administrative leave as work began to dismantle their departments.

The pullback on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the private sector began before Trump took office. A slew of companies — including Meta, Walmart, and McDonald's — either reduced or ended their own DEI initiatives. Some had been targeted by conservative activist groups.

However, amid the tensions around DEI, some executives are taking a public stance in support of their firms' policies.

Deutsche Bank

In a Frankfurt press conference on Thursday, Sewing said his company was "firmly behind" its DEI programs, calling them "integral" to its strategy.

"Quite honestly, I know what diversity has brought us on the management board at the top reporting level," Sewing said. "That's why we are strong supporters of these programs."

If the legality of DEI programs should ever change, the bank might reevaluate its stance, he added.

"But in terms of our basic attitude, in terms of our mindset, both issues — whether it's diversity policy, inclusion, or sustainability — are an integral part of Deutsche Bank's strategy," he said.

JPMorgan

Dimon was defiant in the face of apparent targeting from activist shareholders over the company's DEI programs.

"Bring them on," he told CNBC on January 22. "We are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the veterans community."

Goldman Sachs

Solomon said that while he'd heard of shareholder proposals, he hadn't yet reviewed them.

"We're advising our clients. They think about these things," Solomon said in a separate interview with CNBC on January 22. "They think about decarbonization, they think about climate transition. They think about their businesses, how they find talent, the diversity of the talent they find all over the world."

Goldman Sachs' stated inclusion goals are geared toward funneling more women into leadership positions, making "progress towards racial equity," and ensuring diversity both among its vendors and in its boardroom.

Cisco

In an interview with Axios on January 22, Chuck Robbins, the CEO of Cisco, said that a diverse workforce being better was an inarguable fact.

"I think the pendulum swings a little wide in both directions. And for us, it's about finding the equilibrium," Robbins said, adding: "You cannot argue with the fact that a diverse workforce is better."

Robbins added that DEI was being discussed as "single issue" but that he believed it's far more complex.

"And in reality, it's made up of 150 different things, and maybe seven of them got a little out of hand," he said. "I think those six or seven things are going to get solved, and then you're going to be left with common sense."

Costco

Costco has been clear about its support for DEI, even as it faces mounting pressure from conservative groups to walk back its policies.

Nearly all of Costco's shareholders rejected a proposal by the National Center for Public Policy Research last week that was similar to the one received by JPMorgan. It would have required Costco to issue a report on the legal and financial risks of DEI policies.

"The overwhelming support of our shareholders' vote really puts an answer to that question," Costco CEO Ron Vachris said.

Costco's board has also previously issued statements reaffirming the company's dedication to DEI.

"Our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary," the board wrote in December.

The company continues to face scrutiny for its policies, as 19 Republican attorneys general sent a letter to Vachris urging him to end what they called "divisive and discriminatory DEI practices."

• Costco's commitment to diversity and inclusion is facing fresh scrutiny from Republicans.
• In a letter to CEO Ron Vachris, 19 attorneys general urged the company to end its DEI programs.
• Costco shareholders last week overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to report on potential DEI risks.

Costco appears to have a target on its back.

The wholesale club's commitment to DEI is facing fresh scrutiny from 19 Republican attorneys general who say the retailer is "clinging" to "divisive and discriminatory DEI practices."

Led by Iowa's Brenna Bird and Kansas' Kris Kobach, the group sent a letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris urging him to "end all unlawful discrimination imposed by the company through diversity, equity, and inclusion" policies.

The letter also cites President Donald Trump's executive order from last week that encouraged private companies to end DEI-related initiatives while moving to end the programs at federal agencies.

"Costco should not have policies that discriminate in hiring based on race or gender," the letter said.

The attorneys general did not identify in their letter any specific allegations of discrimination that had occurred at Costco as a result of its diversity-related policies. However, they said that several companies had faced lawsuits related to DEI policies and that ending them would reduce Costco's legal exposure.

Last week, 98% of Costco shareholders rejected a proposal from a conservative think tank to report on any legal and financial risks arising from DEI policies.

"The overwhelming support of our shareholders' vote really puts an answer to that question," Vachris said following the news.

The attorneys general said Costco had 30 days to either notify them that it had ended its DEI policies or explain why it had not.

Many companies, including Meta, McDonald's, and Walmart, have decided in recent months to roll back or end their DEI programs. Target said on Friday that it was ending multiple DEI programs in an effort to stay "in step with the evolving external landscape."

Others, like Costco, have publicly supported DEI. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon recently defended the bank's diversity initiatives.

"We are going to continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the LGBT community, the veterans community," Dimon said.

If you are a Costco worker who wants to share your perspective, please contact Dominick via email or text/call/Signal at 646.768.4750. Responses will be kept confidential, and Business Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a nonwork device when reaching out.

• Each month, I head to my UK Costco to stock up on big-box items for my family of four.
• My daughter is a big fan of the Bearfields honey-roasted sliced ham, which we use in sandwiches.
• I use the Kirkland Signature British bone-in pork-belly ribs to make delicious, meaty main courses.

Before we had kids, my partner and I would make an occasional trip to Costco, stocking up on our favorite items and splitting bulk buys between the two of us.

Now, with a family of four and more mouths to feed, we head to Costco every month to buy items in bulk. 

Here are a few must-buy items I get for my family every month at my UK-based Costco.

We have the Bearfields honey-roasted sliced ham as a snack or in sandwiches.

Our oldest child loves ham sandwiches, so she often has one as a snack (or, upon her request, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner).

The Bearfields ham slices are great for filling a sandwich, though I also throw the meat into a soup, salad, or fried-rice dish. If I'm in a hurry, I'll grab a slice before heading out the door.

I also like that this package comes with two individually wrapped portions of ham, so I don't have to worry about eating it all at once.

I love the flavor of the Goldstein smoked salmon.

Eggs Benedict might traditionally call for ham, but we like to mix it up and add smoked salmon.

Goldstein smoked salmon is also a wonderful, salty accompaniment to leek-and-potato soup, and it instantly makes a slice of toast feel much fancier.

We use garlic almost daily, so we grab a big pack of organic bulbs.

Whether I'm making a curry, spaghetti, or tzatziki, I always add garlic. If recipes call for two or three garlic cloves, I usually add at least two more portions to bump up the flavor.

I even have a tiny casserole dish exclusively for roasting garlic for creamy mashed potatoes or toasted bread. Sometimes I feel like our family is single-handedly propping up the garlic industry.

Ramona's jalapeño hummus has a delicious spiciness.

When it comes to hummus, this stuff is a game changer. It's rich and creamy, with a gentle jalapeño kick that instantly elevates our dipping veggies, chips, and wraps.

This hummus comes in a two-pack of 500-gram (about 17 ounces) tubs, though you'll likely regret not buying more. 

The nashi pears from Costco are refreshing and juicy.

Nashi, or Asian, pears are crisp, refreshing, and super juicy. They have more bite and tanginess than European pears, though they're not usually as smooth or sweet.

They're also great for mixing up the fruit bowl if you've only had apples and grapes for a while.

The Kirkland Signature British bone-in pork-belly ribs are full of meaty flavor.

Barbecue season might be over, but there's always space for a hearty plate of pork ribs. The Kirkland Signature pork ribs are very thick, so when the fat renders, they're super juicy.

I've been making char-siu-style (sweet, Cantonese-style barbecue) pork ribs, but next time, I think I'll try a simple salt-and-pepper recipe.

This variety pack of Kirkland Signature Danish pastries is great for a lazy Sunday morning.

If I don't feel like making breakfast, I opt for these delicious Danish pastries.

Each 12-pack contains raspberry, vanilla-and-apple, and caramel-custard flavors. I like to heat them in the oven for 10 minutes to warm the filling and crisp up the pastry. 

The watermelon at Costco is deliciously juicy. 

Watermelon keeps me feeling full and satisfied. I also recently enjoyed using the fruit for a quick and easy watermelon sorbet, which was very refreshing.

If you ask me, the best watermelons are dull, dark green, heavy for their size, and have a large yellow or orange spot (indicating they've spent lots of time ripening in the fields).

No trip to Costco is complete without a Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken.

The Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken is juicy, tender, and huge.

We'll serve one with a feta salad and bread for dinner, slice the breast meat for lunchtime sandwiches, and strip the bones to use in a curry or stir fry.

The Cartmel Village Shop sticky toffee pudding is a sublime treat for dessert.

Sticky toffee pudding is a favorite in our house. I like to serve it with vanilla ice cream, as it's the perfect accompaniment to soften the pudding's sweetness.

This package comes with two trays of pudding that are easily enough for four adults. However, we like to stretch one tray into enough servings for our family of four.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

• Walmart-owned Sam's Club saw a huge jump in this year's customer satisfaction rankings.
• Meanwhile, longtime leader Costco's score remained flat.
• The report credits Sam's Club's spiffy new checkout tech with helping improve the shopper experience.

It appears Sam's Club has had enough of waiting in line.

The Walmart-owned wholesale club jumped ahead of rivals to place first in this year's customer satisfaction rankings for general merchandise retailers, scoring a whopping 85 points.

Sam's Club posted the biggest improvement of any major general merchandise retailer, and it also managed to unseat its chief rival and longtime category leader, Costco, in the top spot.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index, which publishes the annual rankings, cited Sam's Club's popular Scan & Go app feature and its new AI-powered exit tech as driving a big share of the company's appeal to shoppers.

"We're seeing a clear divide emerge between brands that are meeting the needs and expectations of younger consumers versus those that are falling behind," ACSI Director of Research Emeritus Forrest Morgeson said in a statement, adding that digital features continue to have a significant impact on younger generations' satisfaction ratings.

Costco's score of 82 remained flat for a third year, while BJ's Wholesale Club's score fell by two points from last year to 78.

Costco and BJ's did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the rankings.

The report, which is based on nearly 42,000 completed customer surveys, doesn't suggest Costco did anything wrong — it was at the top of the heap for years with its very respectable 82 points, but Sam's Club is showing that the ceiling can be higher than it has been.

Beyond Sam's Club's app and receipt-free exit, which makes it easy to shop in the warehouse without waiting in slow lines, the report also notes that the company has outperformed its peers when it comes to the speed and accuracy of online order fulfillment — especially at curbside.

For its part, Costco has dipped its toe into the digital water in recent months with a few updates like ID scanning and inventory availability, but it has nothing yet to match Sam's Club's tech, as embodied by the AI-powered exit gateways.

These rankings suggest that Costco is doing quite well with its customers — Sam's Club is just raising the bar.

Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas told Business Insider back in October that he wants shopping at Sam's Club to be a "delightful" experience.

"My hope is that Sam's Club, when you shop, feels like what it's like to shop in the future," he said. "This is a glimpse of that."

If you are a Costco or Sam's Club worker who wants to share your perspective, please contact Dominick via email or text/call/Signal at 646.768.4750. Responses will be kept confidential, and Business Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out

• Costco food courts are switching back to Coca-Cola after more than a decade of serving Pepsi.
• The switch to Pepsi in 2013 caused a stir among some members.
• The latest move has once again sparked mixed reactions.

Costco is switching back to Coca-Cola products in its food court after more than a decade of serving Pepsi — and it's sparked mixed reactions online.

While some are eagerly awaiting the retro shift back to Coke, others are lamenting the loss of Pepsi, with many debating which is best to have as part of Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.

"We're so back," One X user wrote.

"That $1.50 hotdog and drink is about to get a lot more visits from me," another said.

"Hot dog and drink gonna hit different now," a third added.

Others, however, insist that Pepsi reigns supreme.

"That sucks, love coke and Pepsi, but Costco hotdog/pizza and Pepsi go hand in hand," one TikToker said.

"I've always been more of a Coke guy but idk if there's anything better than Costco pizza with Pepsi," shared an X user.

"Shoutout to the handful of us who prefer Pepsi over Coca-Cola," another added. "This one hits the feels a little bit. Costco hot dog and an ice cold Pepsi belong together!"

Costco CEO Ron Vachris confirmed the return to Coke at the company's annual shareholder meeting earlier this week.

"This summer, we will be converting our food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola," Vachris said.

The company pulled Coke products from its food courts in favor of Pepsi in 2013, which again caused a stir among members.

At the time, then-VP of food services Alan Bubitz told BevNET: "You're not going to be able to please everybody. It's our job to preserve the integrity of the price point."

The latest move back to Coke marks another victory for Coca-Cola, which has long been a dominant force in the beverage industry and holds more than double the market share of Pepsi, according to a 2024 ranking from Beverage Digest based on 2023 sales volumes.

Coke Classic held an estimated 19.2% share of the US carbonated soft drink market, while Pepsi garnered 8.31% — down from 15% in 1995.