Costco, one of the heavyweights of the US retail sector, has been selling gold bars for several days now. Quite an original move for a supermarket, especially as the bars are sold via vending machines. 
 
It took just a few hours for these new-style vending machines to find customers, and they are already out of stock.

Costco revolutionises the shopping experience with gold bars on its shelves

 From now on, the shopping list of Americans visiting Costco will be extended. In addition to Billy Junior's fries and cereals, they'll also find... gold bars !
 
This is not a new idea. Dubai already experimented with it in the early 2010s, offering these famous gold bullion dispensers. But Dubai remains a place apart, known above all for a certain kind of excess. 
 
The appearance of these distributors did not really come as a shock, indeed it was an almost logical outcome. The novelty lies rather in the country offering them, a country a little more standard than the United Arab Emirates.
 
It was a great success, and the gold bullion distributors immediately found their clientele, as all the bullion offered for sale was snapped up within a few hours.
 
But let's not dream. There is little chance of this ever happening in our country.  It has to be said that our compliance officer would be pulling his hair out to incorporate French legislation into these famous vending machine sales.

DISCOVER THE ONE OUNCE GOLD BAR

Gold : the must-have investment in times of financial uncertainty

 
This is yet another reminder that gold is the metal of choice in times of deep crisis. There is a kind of natural consensus on gold's ability to be the ultimate store of value, and this has been true since the origins of money and accepted by all civilisations.
 
Closer to home, the 20 franc gold Napoleon coin has survived the 20th century and its various conflicts and periods of high inflation. Today, it still represents a value of stability and a reserve of value that is highly prized by the French in particular. If you do a quick calculation, the 20 franc gold coin issued at the beginning of the 20th century would be worth 3 euro cents today if it had been converted to paper at the mercy of currency devaluations... It's a sobering thought. 
 
Finally, beyond the rather anecdotal aspect of this new distribution network, there is nonetheless a real demand for physical gold. So this is yet another opportunity for Americans to become more aware of the need to preserve their purchasing power. It remains to be seen whether Costco's successful experiment will take root over the long term in the United States and be exported to other countries in a stable and sustainable way. While you're waiting for us to be replaced by distributors, why not pay us a visit in one of our seventy branches !