Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites that offer low prices on a limited selection of nationally-branded and private-label products to achieve high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover.
The company generated revenue from merchandise sales across categories such as foods, non-foods, fresh foods, and from ancillary services including gasoline, pharmacy, optical, food court, hearing aids, tire installation, e-commerce, business…
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites that offer low prices on a limited selection of nationally-branded and private-label products to achieve high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover.
The company generated revenue from merchandise sales across categories such as foods, non-foods, fresh foods, and from ancillary services including gasoline, pharmacy, optical, food court, hearing aids, tire installation, e-commerce, business centers, and travel services, with gasoline representing approximately 10% of total net sales in 2025, e-commerce approximately 7%, and digitally-enabled sales approximately 10% of total net sales in 2025.
The company operates through the following segments: Core Merchandise, Warehouse Ancillary, and Other Businesses.
• Core Merchandise: This segment includes Foods and Sundries, Non-Foods, and Fresh Foods categories, offering a limited selection of nationally-branded and private-label products, with an average of fewer than 4,000 active stock keeping units per warehouse and a focus on fast-selling models, sizes, and colors.
• Warehouse Ancillary: This segment provides gasoline, pharmacy, optical, food court, hearing aids, and tire installation services located within or near warehouses, with 747 gas stations operated at the end of 2025 supporting the gasoline business that contributed about 10% of total net sales.
• Other Businesses: This segment comprises e-commerce operations that give members convenience and a broader selection of goods and services, business centers that carry items tailored for food services, convenience stores and offices, and travel services that offer vacation packages, car rentals, cruises and other travel products exclusively for Costco members.
Costco Wholesale Corporation holds a strong position in the warehouse club industry, competing with rivals such as Walmart’s Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and traditional retailers including Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon, leveraging its low-cost model, high inventory turnover, private-label Kirkland Signature brand, and membership renewal rates of 92.3% in the United States and Canada and 89.8% worldwide at the end of 2025.
The company serves individual consumers and businesses through its Gold Star, Business, and Executive memberships, with members accessing warehouses and e-commerce sites in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Sweden, Iceland, and New Zealand, and a total paid membership base of 81,000,000 at the end of 2025.
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Sector: Consumer Defensive Industry: Discount Stores CIK: 0000909832