Costco is refusing to stock Coca-Cola in any of its 560 worldwide warehouse stores. Costco and Coke are at odds over the wholesale price Coke is charging the discount retailer.
Costco says it is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in its stores nationwide due to a pricing dispute with the beverage maker.
The Issaquah, Wash.-based wholesale club operator would not discuss the matter further. But a Costco executive confirmed Monday that the company is no longer carrying products from the world's largest soft drink maker.
Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. says it won't comment on on-going negotiations but said Costco is an important customer that it is committed to working with "in a spirit of fairness."
Coke is hoping to resolve the issue, but it seems clear that Costco isn't going to pay what Coke originally wanted for the wholesale price. Costco is not a distribution point that Coke wants to lose, so we'll see if it decides to come down on its pricing.
