Further, consider the reputational effect of this voluntary recall. Even if all 79,200 pounds of butter are returned to Costco, the cost of such a return would be less than $300,000. Balanced against its $7.37 billion profit for this past year, this sum reflects hardly even a rounding error. But the reputational effect that Costco and Continental Dairy Facilities will enjoy is easily worth far more than this. Costco customers now have concrete evidence that if they purchase something from the store that does not fully live up to even absurd and superfluous regulatory standards, they will be notified and will receive a full refund, no questions asked. This type of reputational publicity quite simply cannot be bought: it can only be earned. In an ironic twist, Costco just sent a message to the rest of the business community: the best way to be perceived as reputable and honest is to be reputable and honest.