PORTLAND, Ore. — Costco Wholesale Corp., facing political pressure, said Friday that it will expand its new food-stamp program to a third New York store that is under development.
Costco, one of the nation’s largest wholesale club chains, announced Wednesday that it is equipping two of its New York stores to accept food stamps as part of a pilot program that will launch this summer. The company said that if the effort went well, it would accept food stamps at any future clubs in New York.
The news prompted heavy criticism from some New York officials, including state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who questioned why the retailer was not immediately committing to accept food stamps at a soon-to-be opened East Harlem store. The East Harlem site is in a redevelopment area with a heavy concentration of food-stamp users. Costco received public financial assistance to build there.
