Costco Wholesale Admission

US wholesale chain Costco Wholesale is one of the leading grocery retailers in the cash and carry sector, with total net sales of around US$222.7 million in 2021/2022. [Source Statista.com]

As a potential supplier, you have the opportunity to benefit from this success story. Costco places the highest value on food safety and establishes strict guidelines and audit requirements. In doing so, Costco ensures that they only offer premium products in their shops. These requirements are integrated into the food safety standards of IFS, BRCGS, FSSC 22000 and SQF through special Costco modules.  

• You will be listed as a Costco supplier and therefore have permission to supply to Costco wholesale stores
• You reduce the need for additional audits
• You demonstrate effective quality management throughout the production process
• You demonstrate effective controls over your change management
• You create trust with your customers
• Internationally recognized

If you are interested in being listed at Costco, you have three options to choose from:

1. An audit involving a Costco GFSI Additional Requirements checklist, must be combined with a GFSI standard and the entire audit must be unannounced annually. They cannot be conducted separately.
2. The Costco Food Safety Audit is a One-day Unannounced audit that must be conducted separately from a GFSI audit within a 90-day window around the dates of the previous year’s GFSI audit. It is an alternative to suppliers who do not want to undertake annual GFSI audits.
3. The Costco Small Supplier Audits are for sites with fewer than 25 employees who have not previously completed a 3rd Party food safety audit. These audits are always announced. These audits are intended as an introduction to Costco’s food safety program and are performed on a “One-time-only” basis. All subsequent audits completed for Costco must be either a Costco Food Safety audit or another approved audit standard.

Requirements that have to be met for Costco Wholesale in Germany and are not mapped in the GFSI standards are for example:

• Testing by Costco-approved, trained employees
• Cost and time savings through joint auditing as a Costco supplier
• Market access to the American and Canadian retail trade as a Costco supplier
• Worldwide auditing/certification of locations possible

TÜV NORD is one of Costco's recognized certification bodies and operates globally in conjunction with our subsidiary TÜV USA, which facilitates daily interactions directly with Costco Wholesale and their suppliers.

TÜV NORD CERT is an established, globally active and reliable partner for inspection and certification services. Our experts and auditors have many years of experience. This guarantees independence and neutrality and promises continuous support. The advantage for you: TÜV NORD is internationally positioned and enjoys worldwide recognition. Our auditors have in-depth industry knowledge and interdisciplinary thinking.