Friday, November 1, 2024

COSTCO WHOLESALE FOR MEMBERS OMLY

◆One card member can only bring in another two non-members into the store. ◆Must show card at cashier for purchase.

What is the difference between each type of membership?

Executive Membership:

●$130.00 Annual membership fee ($65 membership fee, plus $65 upgrade fee)*

●Includes a free Household Card

●Valid at all Costco locations worldwide

●Annual 2% Reward on qualified Costco purchases (terms and conditions apply)

●Additional benefits and greater savings on Costco Services

●Extra benefits on select Costco Travel products


Business Membership:

●$65.00 Annual membership fee*

●Includes a free Household Card

●Add Affiliate Cardholders for $65 each*

●Valid at all Costco locations worldwide

●Purchase for resale

●Business Members must provide Costco with the appropriate resale information


Gold Star Membership:

●$65.00 Annual membership fee*

●Includes a free Household Card

●Valid at all Costco locations worldwide


You can find more details on each type of membership and even sign up right here. Please keep in mind that the Costco double guarantee applies to all membership levels. That means we guarantee both your membership and our products with a refund†, if they don’t meet your satisfaction. 

*Plus applicable sales tax. 

†Limitations apply. See the membership counter or Costco.com for details.


As of August 2023, Costco has 859 locations worldwide, with 591 in the U.S.A and 268 in other countries.

Visualizing the Number of Costco Stores, by Country 

Number of Costco stores globally

Visualizing Costco’s Global Presence

Costco is a membership-based retail chain founded in 1983 in Seattle, Washington. Best known for its unique warehouse stores and high-quality products, Costco offers everything from electronics to groceries.


Since its founding, Costco has become a major retailer in the U.S., while also greatly expanding its international presence. As of August 2023, the company has 859 locations globally, with a split of 69% domestic (591 stores) and 31% international (268 stores).

Number of Costco Stores Worldwide

The following table lists the number of Costco stores by country, as of Aug. 17, 2023.


Country Number of locations

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ U.S. 591

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada 107

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ Mexico 40

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan 32

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK 29

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท Korea 18

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia 15

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan 14

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain 4

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China 4

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France 2

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ Iceland 1

๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ New Zealand 1

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช Sweden 1

Total 859

From this data we can see that Costco’s biggest non-U.S. markets are Canada, Mexico, and Japan.


In fact, Costco’s first non-U.S. location was opened near Vancouver, British Columbia in 1985. The company expanded to Mexico several years later in 1992, and then Japan in 1999.


Costco has recently turned its attention to China, opening four stores in areas around Shanghai since 2019. Reception was overwhelmingly positive—as CNBC reported, massive crowds at the grand opening of Costco’s first store forced an early closure. The company is planning to grow its Chinese presence even further, with new locations planned for Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Nanjing.


For context, Costco is hardly the first U.S. retail chain to break into the Chinese market. Walmart first expanded to China in 1996 with a store in Shenzhen, and as of January 2023, operates 365 stores in the country.


The Sweden and New Zealand locations both opened in 2022, showing that Costco’s international expansion is still very much underway.


Number of Costco Stores by State

Focusing on the U.S., here are the number of locations in each state.


State Number of Stores

California 134

Texas 38

Washington 33

Florida 31

Illinois 23

New Jersey 21

Arizona 20

New York 19

Georgia 17

Virginia 17

Michigan 16

Colorado 16

Utah 14

Oregon 13

Minnesota 13

Ohio 13

Maryland 11

Pennsylvania 11

Wisconsin 10

North Carolina 10

Missouri 9

Connecticut 8

Nevada 8

Indiana 8

Hawaii 7

Idaho 7

Massachusetts 6

South Carolina 6

Tennessee 6

Montana 6

Puerto Rico 5

Alabama 4

Oklahoma 4

Alaska 4

Iowa 4

Kentucky 4

Louisiana 3

Nebraska 3

New Mexico 3

Kansas 3

North Dakota 2

Arkansas 1

Mississippi 1

South Dakota 1

Delaware 1 

District of Columbia 1

Vermont 1

New Hampshire 1

Maine 0

Rhode Island 0

West Virginia 0

Wyoming 0

The United States currently has 50 states


America’s most populous state, California, leads the nation with 134 locations (23% of total). This is likely due to Costco’s business strategy, which relies more on membership fees and sales volume rather than high markups on products. According to analysis by Forbes, the average markup at Costco is estimated to be 11%, while at Walmart it stands at 24%.


This may explain why Maine, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming do not have any Costco locations. Most of these states are relatively low in population density, with the exception of Rhode Island which is very small geographically.


Note: According to local news sources, Maine is set to receive its first Costco location later in 2023.


Local Adaptations

While Costco locations in the U.S. often take the form of a traditional warehouse with ample surface level parking, some stores in other countries break from that formula.


In the Santa Fe neighborhood of Mexico City, the retail space and parking of the Costco lies below ground, while the roof of the building acts as an extension to the adjacent park, featuring sports fields and a green roof.


Vancouver, Canada, is home to an urban Costco, which blends into its high density surroundings and is capped by multiple condo towers.


While the price of the company’s famous hot dog and soda combo may stay the same, the company continues to adapt to changing preferences and new locales.


Visualizing the Number of Costco Stores, by Country



Visualizing Costco’s Global Presence

Costco is a membership-based retail chain founded in 1983 in Seattle, Washington. Best known for its unique warehouse stores and high-quality products, Costco offers everything from electronics to groceries.

Since its founding, Costco has become a major retailer in the U.S., while also greatly expanding its international presence. As of August 2023, the company has 859 locations globally, with a split of 69% domestic (591 stores) and 31% international (268 stores).

In this graphic, we’ve visualized Costco’s global presence with a treemap diagram.

Number of Costco Stores Worldwide

The following table lists the number of Costco stores by country, as of Aug. 17, 2023.

CountryNumber of locations
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ U.S.591
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada107
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ Mexico40
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan32
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK29
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท Korea18
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia15
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan14
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain4
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China4
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France2
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ Iceland1
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ New Zealand1
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช Sweden1
Total859

From this data we can see that Costco’s biggest non-U.S. markets are CanadaMexico, and Japan.

In fact, Costco’s first non-U.S. location was opened near Vancouver, British Columbia in 1985. The company expanded to Mexico several years later in 1992, and then Japan in 1999.

Costco has recently turned its attention to China, opening four stores in areas around Shanghai since 2019. Reception was overwhelmingly positive—as CNBC reported, massive crowds at the grand opening of Costco’s first store forced an early closure. The company is planning to grow its Chinese presence even further, with new locations planned for Hangzhou, Shenzhen, and Nanjing.

For context, Costco is hardly the first U.S. retail chain to break into the Chinese market. Walmart first expanded to China in 1996 with a store in Shenzhen, and as of January 2023, operates 365 stores in the country.

The Sweden and New Zealand locations both opened in 2022, showing that Costco’s international expansion is still very much underway.

Number of Costco Stores by State

Focusing on the U.S., here are the number of locations in each state.

America’s most populous stateCalifornia, leads the nation with 134 locations (23% of total). This is likely due to Costco’s business strategy, which relies more on membership fees and sales volume rather than high markups on products. According to analysis by Forbes, the average markup at Costco is estimated to be 11%, while at Walmart it stands at 24%.

This may explain why MaineRhode IslandWest Virginia, and Wyoming do not have any Costco locations. Most of these states are relatively low in population density, with the exception of Rhode Island which is very small geographically.

Editor’s note: According to local news sources, Maine is set to receive its first Costco location later in 2023.

Local Adaptations

While Costco locations in the U.S. often take the form of a traditional warehouse with ample surface level parking, some stores in other countries break from that formula.

In the Santa Fe neighborhood of Mexico City, the retail space and parking of the Costco lies below ground, while the roof of the building acts as an extension to the adjacent park, featuring sports fields and a green roof.

Vancouver, Canada, is home to an urban Costco, which blends into its high density surroundings and is capped by multiple condo towers.

While the price of the company’s famous hot dog and soda combo may stay the same, the company continues to adapt to changing preferences and new locales.


Costco Jo

Be valued,
We promotefrom within.

Did You Know?

Costco Wholesale is a multi-billion 


dollar global retailer with warehouse 


club operations in eight countries. 


We are the recognized leader in our 


field, dedicated to quality in every 


area of our business and respected 


for our outstanding business ethics. 


Despite our large size and explosive 


international expansion, we 


continue to provide a family 


atmosphere in which our 


employees thrive and succeed. We 


are proud to have been named by 


Washington CEO Magazine as one 


of the top three companies to work 


for in the state of Washington.


What Is Costco?

Costco is a membership warehouse 


club, dedicated to bringing our 


members the best possible prices 


on quality brand-name merchandise. 


With hundreds of locations world


-wide, Costco provides a wide 


selection of merchandise, plus the 


convenience of specialty 


departments and exclusive member 


services, all designed to make your 


shopping experience a pleasurable 


one.


The History of Costco

The company's first location, opened 


in 1976 under the Price Club name, 


was in a converted airplane hangar 


on Morena Boulevard in San Diego. 


Originally serving only small 


businesses, the company found it 


could achieve far greater buying 


clout by also serving a selected 


audience of non-business members. 


With that change, the growth of the 


warehouse club industry was off 


and running. In 1983, the first 


Costco warehouse location was 


opened in Seattle. Costco became 


the first company ever to grow from 


zero to USD$3 billion in sales in less 


than six years. When Costco and 


Price Club merged in 1993, the 


combined company, operating under 


the name PriceCostco, had 206 


locations generating $16 billion in 


annual sales.

Our operating philosophy has been 


simple. Keep costs down and pass 


the savings on to our members. Our 


large membership base and 


tremendous buying power, 


combined with our never-ending 


quest for efficiency, result in the best 


possible prices for our members. 


Since resuming the Costco name in 


1997, the company has grown world


-wide with total sales in recent fiscal 


years exceeding $64 billion. 

Costco has transformed the retail 


world. When entrepreneur Sol Price 


introduced a groundbreaking retail 


concept in San Diego, California. 


Price Club was the world's first 


membership warehouse club, a place 


where efficient buying and operating 


practices gave members access to 


unmatched savings.

At first, Price Club was limited 


exclusively to business members, 


who could purchase a wide range of 


supplies and wholesale items. Jim 


Sinegal, the executive vice-president 


of merchandising, distribution and 


marketing, was instrumental in fine-


tuning the merchandise and 


marketing strategies, helping to turn 


Price Club into a success story that 


changed the face of retailing world


-wide.

Seven years later, Jim Sinegal channel


-ed his expertise into co-founding 


Costco Wholesale with Jeff Brotman, 


and together they opened the first 


warehouse in Seattle, Washington in 


1983.

Over the next decade, both Price Club 


and Costco Wholesale continued to 


innovate and grow, and in 1993, the 


two mega-retailers merged, creating 


a gifted leadership team that soon 


made Costco the world's most 


successful warehouse club.

Today, as the company evolves, it 


stays true to the qualities that helped 


attract and retain millions of loyal 


members around the globe:

Commitment to quality. Costco ware-


houses carry about 4,000 SKUs (stock 


keeping units) compared to the 


30,000 found at most supermarkets. 


By carefully choosing products based 


on quality, price, brand, and features, 


the company can offer the best value 


to subscribed members.

Entrepreneurial spirit. Throughout the 


decades, the entrepreneurial drive for 


excellence has continued to define 


Costco staff at every level. From its 


management team to the people on 


the warehouse floor, everyone is 


united in a common goal to exceed 


member expectations.

Employee focus. Costco is often 


noted for being much more 


employee-focused than other 


Fortune 500 companies. By offering 


fair wages and top-notch benefits, 


the company has created a 


workplace culture that attracts 


positive, high-energy, 


talented employees.




Costco Wholesale Corporation 


Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 


Year 2023 Operating Results


Here 











Sept. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today announced its operating results for the 17-week fourth quarter and the 53-week fiscal year ended September 3, 2023.

Net sales for the 17-week fourth quarter were $77.43 billion, an increase of 9.4 percent from $70.76 billion in the 16-week fourth quarter last year. Net sales for the 53-week fiscal year were $237.71 billion, an increase of 6.7 percent from $222.73 billion in the 52-week fiscal year of 2022.

Comparable sales were as follows:

        
 17 Weeks 17 Weeks 53 Weeks 53 Weeks
   Adjusted*   Adjusted*
U.S.0.2% 3.1% 3.3% 4.2%
Canada1.8% 7.4% 1.7% 8.1%
Other International5.5% 4.4% 2.8% 7.6%
        
Total Company1.1% 3.8% 3.0% 5.2%
        
E-commerce-0.8% -0.6% -5.7% -4.8%

*Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange.

Net income for the 17-week fourth quarter was $2.160 billion, $4.86 per diluted share, compared to $1.868 billion, $4.20 per diluted share, in the 16-week fourth quarter last year.

Net income for the 53-week fiscal year was $6.292 billion, $14.16 per diluted share, compared to $5.844 billion, $13.14 per diluted share, in the 52-week prior year.

Costco currently operates 861 warehouses, including 591 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 107 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 33 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, five in China, four in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (PT) today, September 26, 2023, and will be available via a webcast on investor.costco.com (click “Events & Presentations”).

Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally including health-care costs), energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs and the Ukraine conflict), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to climate change, public-health related factors, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with GAAP.

CONTACTS:Costco Wholesale Corporation
 Richard Galanti, 425/313-8203
 David Sherwood, 425/313-8239
 Josh Dahmen, 425/313-8254

 

CO STCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(dollars in millions, except per share data)
(unaudited)

 17 Weeks Ended 16 Weeks Ended 53 Weeks Ended 52 Weeks Ended
 September 3, 2023 August 28, 2022 September 3, 2023 August 28, 2022
REVENUE       
Net sales$77,430  $70,764  $237,710  $222,730 
Membership fees 1,509   1,327   4,580   4,224 
Total revenue 78,939   72,091   242,290   226,954 
OPERATING EXPENSES       
Merchandise costs 69,219   63,558   212,586   199,382 
Selling, general and administrative 6,939   6,036   21,590   19,779 
Operating income 2,781   2,497   8,114   7,793 
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)       
Interest expense (56)  (48)  (160)  (158)
Interest income and other, net 238   67   533   205 
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 2,963   2,516   8,487   7,840 
Provision for income taxes 803   638   2,195   1,925 
Net income including noncontrolling interests 2,160   1,878   6,292   5,915 
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests    (10)     (71)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO COSTCO$2,160  $1,868  $6,292  $5,844 
        
NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO COSTCO:       
Basic$4.87  $4.21  $14.18  $13.17 
Diluted$4.86  $4.20  $14.16  $13.14 
        
Shares used in calculation (000’s):       
Basic 443,876   443,839   443,854   443,651 
Diluted 444,445   444,655   444,452   444,757 
        


CO STCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(amounts in millions, except par value and share data)
(unaudited)

Subject to Reclassification

   September 3,
2023
 August 28,
2022
ASSETS   
CURRENT ASSETS   
Cash and cash equivalents$13,700  $10,203 
Short-term investments 1,534   846 
Receivables, net 2,285   2,241 
Merchandise inventories 16,651   17,907 
Other current assets 1,709   1,499 
Total current assets 35,879   32,696 
OTHER ASSETS   
Property and equipment, net 26,684   24,646 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 2,713   2,774 
Other long-term assets 3,718   4,050 
TOTAL ASSETS$68,994  $64,166 
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY   
CURRENT LIABILITIES   
Accounts payable$17,483  $17,848 
Accrued salaries and benefits 4,278   4,381 
Accrued member rewards 2,150   1,911 
Deferred membership fees 2,337   2,174 
Current portion of long-term debt 1,081   73 
Other current liabilities 6,254   5,611 
Total current liabilities 33,583   31,998 
OTHER LIABILITIES   
Long-term debt, excluding current portion 5,377   6,484 
Long-term operating lease liabilities 2,426   2,482 
Other long-term liabilities 2,550   2,555 
TOTAL LIABILITIES 43,936   43,519 
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES   
EQUITY   
Preferred stock $0.005 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding     
Common stock $0.005 par value; 900,000,000 shares authorized; 442,793,000 and 442,664,000 shares issued and outstanding 2   2 
Additional paid-in capital 7,340   6,884 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,805)  (1,829)
Retained earnings 19,521   15,585 
Total Costco stockholders’ equity 25,058   20,642 
Noncontrolling interests    5 
TOTAL EQUITY 25,058   20,647 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY$68,994  $64,166 
        

                          

CO STCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(amounts in millions)
(unaudited)

Subject to Reclassification

 53 Weeks Ended 52 Weeks Ended
 September 3,
2023
 August 28,
2022
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES   
Net income including noncontrolling interests$6,292  $5,915 
Adjustments to reconcile net income including noncontrolling interests to net cash provided by operating activities:   
Depreciation and amortization 2,077   1,900 
Non-cash lease expense 412   377 
Stock-based compensation 774   724 
Other non-cash operating activities, net 495   39 
Changes in working capital 1,018   (1,563)
Net cash provided by operating activities 11,068   7,392 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES   
Purchases of short-term investments (1,622)  (1,121)
Maturities and sales of short-term investments 937   1,145 
Additions to property and equipment (4,323)  (3,891)
Other investing activities, net 36   (48)
Net cash used in investing activities (4,972)  (3,915)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES   
Repayments of short-term borrowings (935)  (6)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings 917   53 
Repayments of long-term debt (75)  (800)
Tax withholdings on stock-based awards (303)  (363)
Repurchases of common stock (676)  (439)
Cash dividend payments (1,251)  (1,498)
Financing lease payments (291)  (176)
Dividend to noncontrolling interest    (208)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest    (842)
Other financing activities, net    (4)
Net cash used in financing activities (2,614)  (4,283)
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS 15   (249)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents 3,497   (1,055)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS BEGINNING OF YEAR 10,203   11,258 
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS END OF YEAR$13,700  $10,203

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