- Business
- Costco Wholesale Corporation (Nasdaq: COST; BCBA: COST) operates an international chain of membership warehouses that offer quality brand-name merchandise; dry groceries, sundries, candies, coolers, freezers, deli items, liquor, tobacco, fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery products; non-foods including appliances, electronics, computers, furniture, housewares, apparel, sporting goods, jewelry, watches, cameras, books, toys, hardware, office supplies, automotive supplies, tires; private label Kirkland Signature products encompassing juices, cookies, coffee, detergents, clothing, luggage, and housewares; ancillary services such as self-service gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing aid centers, tire installation, food courts, and travel services; as well as manufacturing operations through Costco Wholesale Industries including special food packaging, optical labs, meat processing, and jewelry distribution. Headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, the company traces its origins to 1983 when founders Jim Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman opened the first warehouse in Seattle following the 1976 launch of predecessor Price Club, with the two entities merging in 1993 to form the modern Costco that now serves over 130 million members across more than 900 warehouses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Iceland, China, Spain, France, Sweden, New Zealand, and other regions. Membership is structured into Gold Star for individuals, Business for small- to medium-sized enterprises and resale purposes, and Executive tiers offering additional rewards and services like insurance, auto programs, and identity protection. In fiscal year 2025 ending late September, Costco reports robust growth with net sales surpassing $260 billion, opens 27 new warehouses including expansions in Korea, Sweden, and the US for a total of 914 locations, plans 35 additional openings in fiscal 2026 with a focus on international markets, achieves digitally enabled sales exceeding $27 billion reflecting strength in e-commerce partnerships with Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and big-and-bulky categories like appliances and furniture, introduces over 30 new Kirkland Signature items alongside national brand collaborations such as Fabletics, True Classic, Aura, La-Z-Boy, Disney, and Uber gift cards, rolls out Coca-Cola worldwide to food courts commemorating the 40th anniversary of its $1.50 hot dog combo, enhances tariff mitigation via US-sourced goods and production rerouting, purchases its Sarasota, Florida store property for $10.5 million in June 2025, and sustains private label penetration gains amid high-teens major appliance sales amid resilient 8.1% comparable sales growth through November 2025.