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NEWS > BUSINESS > COSTCO MEMBER THRIVING THROUGH ECONOMIC TURMOIL

COSTCO MEMBER THRIVING THROUGH ECONOMIC TURMOIL

July 26 2009

Cypress, CA – Necessity, it is said, is the mother of invention. In many fields that adage has proven true over and over again and as families across the country continue to struggle in this needy economy, many are hoping that it will prove true for
them. From going back to school, to updating skill sets, to inventing new jobs, people are doing whatever they can to try and make it through the hard times and some are coming up with truly revolutionary ideas.

34-year old Alex Rejas is one of those people struggling through the economy and one of those coming up with and living his life of invention. A divorced father of two, Rejas found his life turned upside down when he lost his job as a construction site supervisor earlier in the year. Faced with mounting debts and a family to support, Rejas took his need and turned it into feed, literally, by using his Costco membership to feed his family free of charge.

“Most people don’t realize how much they actually give away in free samples and the variety is incredible. I can walk into a Costco and by the end of the day I’ve eaten so much breakfast, lunch, and dinner I barely have enough room for dessert. I’m actually surprised that more people haven’t thought of it,” said Rejas to Scrape News. “I’m able to pocket enough of the samples to keep me and my kids fed and even have a little left over that I can sell to neighbours. Currently I’m looking at expanding the operations and maybe bringing on a few employees. Before I lost my job I didn’t realize what I was missing. Now I’m out every day, talking to new people, getting fresh air. It’s terrific.”

Rejas employs a number of different disguises in order to make repeated trips to the free sample tables and arranges his schedule around the changing of the guard at both his local Costco and those throughout Orange County.

“I have it down to an art now really. By bringing more people on I expand not only our reach but the variety and quantity of goods. I hope to someday turn it into a business that I can leave my children and in fact have already got them on the staff, part time at least,” continued Rejas. “For years and years I walked into and out of Costco and other supermarkets and never thought twice about the possibility of making it into a career, but necessity turned into something spectacular for me and my family.”

We attempted to contact Costco officials regarding their policy on free samples but received no response. It is a generally accepted rule of conduct that people take one sample and move on.

“Samples are given out to tempt people into buying and they go to tremendous expense to do that so I can’t imagine that the company or the manufacturers would be too happy about people relying on something they are giving away in order to make a living. That said, it is a very unique way to make ends meet and is the kind of abstract thinking we need to help get the country through these hard times,” said Scrape TV Business analyst Ken Green. “Entrepreneurism is what made the United States great, that is what carries her through hard times, and that is what will carry her through this one.”

Rejas for his part isn’t overly concerned with what Costco might think of his business and believes that the momentum he has gained will give him an edge over competitors in the same field.

Rejas currently plans on expanding his operations into neighbouring Riverside and Los Angeles counties.  

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

NEWS > BUSINESS > COSTCO MEMBER THRIVING THROUGH ECONOMIC TURMOIL

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