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\ Near [X]\ Sorry, however you should be logged in to share stories via e-mail. This helps us avert abuse of our e-mail process.\ Don\'t have a Spokesman.com account? Formulate one here for free.\ Most people store with the Costco Wholesale save in Burbank, Calif. Costco mentioned Wednesday it should begin the process of accepting meals stamps at its warehouse clubs nationwide following testing them at New York stores. (Full-size photo) October 29, 2009 in Business Costco stores to launch accepting food stamps Print Email Share PORTLAND – With many families suddenly struggling to feed themselves, the big warehouse clubs known for king-size packages of steak and jumbo boxes of Cheerios are increasingly competing with grocery stores for the 36 million Americans now on food stamps. Costco Wholesale Corp. claimed Wednesday that it would start out accepting meals stamps at its warehouse clubs nationwide right after testing them at stores in New york. That is a big about-face for a chain that has catered to the bargain-hunting affluent with its gourmet foods, and a reflection of the fact that food-stamp use has hit new highs. Costco joins warehouse club competitor BJ’s Wholesale Corp., which started out taking foods stamps last April, and Sam’s Club, which began accepting them during the fall of 2008. “The rules are different right now,office Standard 2007 product key,” CEO Jim Sinegal mentioned. “People who were in good shape financially all of the sudden are needing some assistance.” Sinegal claimed he expects Costco to accept food stamps in at least half its roughly 410 U.S. stores by Thanksgiving, including its 28 locations in Washington state. It is actually unknown at this time whether Idaho locations will be among those early stores accepting foods stamps, a Costco spokesman said Wednesday. Up until recently, some wholesale clubs were skeptical poor consumers would be willing to pay the $50-a-year membership fee or would be interested in buying food during the bulk quantities for which the stores are famous. But in this economy stores are battling for every dollar and see a big potential market from the growing ranks of food-stamp recipients. From warehouse clubs to supermarkets and mom-and-pop groceries, stores are retraining their cashiers and hanging new signs to welcome such shoppers. “Certainly this economy was a wake-up call,” Costco chief financial officer Richard Galanti recently told investors. “It's not just really low-end economic strata that are using these.” The rolls of food-stamp recipients have grown by 10 million over the past two years.