by LAURA BODE

According to an article issued by the U.S. Census Bureau last spring, 11.5 million Americans, or 3.5% of the entire population, have some sort of hearing impairment, ranging from difficulty having conversations in noisy environments to total hearing loss.

So, it comes as no surprise that the huge impact Costco’s Hearing Aid Center has already had on millions of Costco members and their families over the past 30 years will only continue to grow.

“Our ability to hear connects us to family, friends and community,” says Soris Parajon-Pena, Costco hearing aid buyer. “Our goal is to find the most leading-edge technology at affordable prices to help our members enjoy the best communication possible for their day-to-day activities.”

Since its inception in 1989, Costco's Hearing Aid Centers are now in more than 754 Costco warehouses in 13 countries around the world.

"Our licensed staff works to determine if a member can be helped by the use of hearing aids, through free on-site hearing tests," explains Parajon-Pena, who has two decades of experience in the industry. "Our dispensing team discusses any hearing loss with the member and finds out what their individual lifestyle requirements are so that a 'best features on the right product' match can be made with the member's needs in mind."

Costco is the largest hearing aid retailer in North America, according to Paul DiCola, assistant general merchandise manager for all Costco hearing aid centers; he adds that, as the result of exceptional customer service, pricing and hearing aid device features, "Costco has recently been noted as the best hearing aid retailer."