Costco Wholesale
Costco Wholesale Corp is a leading global retailer that operates a membership-based warehouse club model. The company focuses on high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover by offering a limited selection of nationally branded and private-label products at low prices. Its value proposition is built on operating efficiencies, volume purchasing, and a membership fee structure that allows for significantly lower gross margins than traditional retailers.
Financials
Based on Q2 2026 filing
Revenue
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Core Merchandise
primaryThe primary retail offering consisting of high-quality brand-name and private-label goods across food and non-food categories.
Kirkland Signature, Foods and Sundries, Fresh Foods, Major Appliances, Electronics, Health and Beauty Aids, Apparel
Gold Star Members, Business Members, Executive Members
Warehouse Ancillary
majorOn-site services and specialized departments located within or adjacent to warehouses designed to increase shopping frequency.
Gasoline, Pharmacy, Optical, Food Court, Hearing Aids, Tire Installation
Gold Star Members, Business Members, Executive Members
Other Businesses
moderateComplementary services and specialized retail formats including digital commerce and travel services.
Costco Travel, Costco Logistics, Business Centers, E-commerce
Gold Star Members, Business Members, Executive Members, Food Service Operators
Segment Financials
KOREA — Number of Stores
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View metricUNITED STATES — Number of Stores
View metricAUSTRALIA — Number of Stores
View metricCANADA — Number of Stores
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Competitive Position
A dominant global warehouse club operator known for high member loyalty and a low-cost operating structure.
Geographies
United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, China, Taiwan, Spain, France, Sweden, Iceland, New Zealand
Customer Segments
Individual consumers, Small business owners, Corporate employees
Upstream Dependencies
National brand manufacturers, Private-label contract manufacturers, Agricultural producers, Logistics and freight providers
Downstream Customers
Individual household consumers, Small businesses, Food service providers, Convenience store owners
Competitors & Partners
Competitors
Walmart
WMT
Direct warehouse club competitor owned by Walmart
Amazon
AMZN
Online retail and e-commerce competitor
Target
TGT
General merchandise retail competitor
Kroger
KR
Supermarket and grocery competitor
Sysco
SYY
Club store channel competitor
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.
BJ
Direct warehouse club competitor
Subsidiaries
Costco Travel
Travel service provider for members
Costco Logistics
Delivery and fulfillment operations
Costco Wholesale FAQ
Common questions about Costco Wholesale
Costco Wholesale Corp is a leading global retailer that operates a membership-based warehouse club model. The company focuses on high sales volume and rapid inventory turnover by offering a limited selection of nationally branded and private-label products at low prices. Its value proposition is built on operating efficiencies, volume purchasing, and a membership fee structure that allows for significantly lower gross margins than traditional retailers.
Costco Wholesale (COST) has a market capitalization of $466.03B and trades on NASDAQ.
Costco Wholesale generated $286.27B in trailing twelve-month revenue with net income of $8.5B, representing a net margin of 3.0%. Gross margin stands at 12.9%, with free cash flow of $17.6B. These figures are based on the Q1 2026 filing.
Costco Wholesale's key competitors include Walmart, Amazon, Target, and others. These companies compete in similar markets and product categories.
Costco Wholesale has approximately 316,000 employees.