inside costco
How
sweet
ıt ıs
Pat at the candy
factory with one of
the many varieties
of mouthwatering
Kirkland Signature
chocolates.
BuyingSmart
Costco and the chocolate factory
Consumer reporter
Pat Volchok gives a
behind-the-scenes look
at Costco products and
services. Send your
questions about this
article to:
buyingsmart@
costco.com.
SWEET! Costco’s exclusive chocolate shoppe is
open. Gleaming Kirkland Signature™ jars and boxes
;lled with high-quality chocolate varieties, sprinkled with a;ordable prices, have taken up permanent residence on warehouse shelves.
You’ll ;nd scrumptious, mouthwatering Kirkland Signature made-in-the-U.S. chocolates, including Milk Chocolate Raisins and Milk Chocolate
Almonds. As a special treat, a 1-pound box of
Kirkland Signature Classic American Chocolates is
also added to the collection every September
through December.
More in archives
On Costco.com, enter
“Connection.” At
Online Edition, search
“buyingsmart.”
Under development are Kirkland Signature
Milk Chocolate Double Dipped Peanuts, Chocolate
Covered Walnut Fudge, Dark Chocolate Almond
Cherry Clusters, Milk Chocolate Almond To;ee
and Salted Caramels.
But there’s more to this story than meets the palate, and it’s one I’ve wanted to spill the beans on for
quite some time.
88 ;e Costco Connection NOVEMBER 2010
From bean to jar
Good chocolates are usually defined by the
quality and origin of the beans, the manufacturer’s
production techniques and blend of ;ne ingredients, and the freshness of the chocolate.
;e Costco chocolate team of Sheri Flies, Becky
Schmidt and Franck Myhre took the process many
steps further.
Sheri shares, “We felt the only way to keep this
new chocolate program true to our vision was to
understand and manage the process from bean to
jar, pay fair prices directly to farmers [cutting out
fees to speculative traders] and give back to the
communities who provide us with the cocoa beans.”
By providing all members of the value chain
with a fair return for their contribution, Costco is
able to provide high-quality, sustainable Kirkland
Signature chocolates at reasonable prices that make
them an a;ordable treat for members.
However, if you’re looking for a sustainable-
