Perhaps no superstore is more associated with large families as Costco, the big-box warehouse wholesaler specializing in any and every product imaginable in vast quantities at affordable prices. Thus, there is a perverse irony in the fact that the chain is under fire for…refusing to stock and sell abortion pills.
On August 14, Costco stated that it would not be providing mifepristone at its more than 500 pharmacies, telling MSNBC: “Our position at this time not to sell mifepristone, which has not changed, is based on the lack of demand from our members and other patients, who we understand generally have the drug dispensed by their medical providers.”
MSNBC was having none of it, running the headline: “Costco won’t be selling abortion pills. Here’s why that matters.” Democrats predictably concurred. “I am deeply alarmed by news reports that Costco is refusing to sell safe, effective, and legal medication for no other reason than to appease the politics of anti-abortion fanatics,” Washington Senator Patty Murray said in a statement. “I refuse to stand by and allow far-right extremists to bully major corporations and dictate what medicine women can or cannot get access to.”
“Where it is legal, retailers and major pharmacies must absolutely make medication abortion available to the women who need it,” Murray continued. “Mifepristone is safe and effective—we cannot live in a world where the availability of women’s health care whipsaws back and forth based on the whims of extremists who want to deny women access to basic health care. I am demanding that Costco immediately reverse course—follow the science and the facts, not the demands of far-right anti-abortion extremists.”
Murray is lying, of course—mifepristone is not safe, and when “effective,” ends the life of a developing human being in the womb. But Murray’s outrage—and dare we say, bullying—likely derives from the fact that in August 2024, a coalition led by Alliance Defending Freedom sent open letters to Costco, along with Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, and McKesson, asking them not to carry the abortion pill, noting that thousands had signed a petition with a similar request. After the letter was sent, the Washington Post reported that executives at Costco had internally debated whether or not to provide mifepristone.
We are investors, investment advisors, fiduciaries, proxy voting and corporate engagement consultants to investors who hold over $100 billion in assets under management and $56 million in Costco stock. We write to urge Costco, for its own sake and the sake of its shareholders and customers, to continue its current practice of not dispensing the abortion drug mifepristone.
The letter is worth reading in full. The signatories also warn Costco of the potential damage to their bottom line: “Maximizing shareholder value requires Costco to avoid politicizing its services and to continue to do what it has always done best, provide excellent grocery and retail goods to families.”
“Costco also needs to carefully consider the cost of alienating its diverse customers and potential customers just to boost one product in its pharmacy, which is one of its ancillary lines of business. Over 7,500 concerned citizens, including 6,000 members, have already signed a petition asking you not to sell mifepristone.”
“This is not only a courageous move, but also a wise one as it will have a far-reaching positive effect on our nation and their bottom line,” Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women of America, told The Christian Post. “The abortion pill has also been used on unsuspecting women by predatory men, making it possible that lawsuits could be filed against businesses who sell the abortion pill — one more reason Costco’s decision is wise.”
Whether Costco’s decision was based on pressure from pro-life or pro-family groups or from a lack of demand for the abortion pill, it is clearly good news either way. “It’s a very significant win and it’s one we hope to build on this coming year,” Michael Ross of ADF told Bloomberg News. Ross stated that ADF will now mount a campaign to persuade Walgreens and CVS, which do dispense the abortion pill, to enact a similar decision.
