Last week, Costco Wholesale announced the opening of its first Business Centre in Canada. The new concept targets businesses in the food service, convenience store, and restaurant industries.
Located in Scarborough, the 127,000 square-foot location will operate differently from the company’s other warehouses: 80 per cent of its product offerings only be available at the Costco Business Centre, including various fresh foods and confectionary items.
The centre will also offer next-day delivery with a new truck fleet, as well as business-friendly hours that start at 7AM.
“Costco’s Business Centre will help our local businesses grow by providing them with the products they need in a timely manner,” says Toronto Mayor John Tory. “This is good for business and it’s good for our economy.”
Baskets will also be four times larger than those at the traditional Costco locations, according to Andree Brien, senior vice-president at Costco Wholesale Canada. Additionally, the stores will be quieter, with businesses taking advantage of extended hours and delivery options.
This new development could spell trouble for other wholesalers in the grocery, restaurant and convenience store industries, who may have to reconsider some of their operations in order to remain unscathed. The Business Centre, which is set to open in March, will be open to anyone with a Costco card.
