Omnichannel Retailers & Supermarket Chains · Retailer & Marketplace
Costco
Membership warehouse retailer selling bulk goods online and in-store.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- Costco Wholesale Corporation
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 1983
- Headquarters
- United States
- Company size
- >5,000
- Market cluster / sector
- Omnichannel Retailers & Supermarket Chains
- Market role
- Retailer & Marketplace
- Ticker
- COST
- Official website
- costco.com
What Costco does
Costco runs a membership-based retail model. Customers pay annual fees for access to warehouses and online shopping, and Costco uses that recurring income to support a low-markup merchandising strategy designed to drive volume, renewal and loyalty. Value is created through scale purchasing, limited assortment, private-label penetration, efficient inventory turns, and cross-selling of member-only ancillary services. The business is structurally retail-led, with membership economics strengthening retention and margin resilience.
Category differentiation
Costco is a membership warehouse retailer and e-commerce operator, not a retail media platform or a software vendor. Its core business is selling goods and memberships directly to consumers and small businesses.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
Costco Wholesale Corporation is a public multinational membership warehouse retailer that sells merchandise through physical warehouses and e-commerce sites. Its core model combines annual paid memberships with high-volume, low-margin retailing across categories such as groceries, electronics, home goods, business supplies and ancillary services. The company also extends member value through service offerings including insurance, travel, payment processing and other negotiated benefits. Costco generates most revenue from merchandise sales, while membership fees provide recurring income and underpin customer retention, pricing discipline and operating profitability. Its direct customers are households and small businesses that pay for access to member pricing and warehouse or online purchasing. The company operates at global scale, with 914 warehouses worldwide as of August 2025 and active expansion supported by digital traffic growth and continued warehouse openings.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Costco reported fiscal 2026 net sales of $297.2 billion, with digitally-enabled sales surpassing $33 billion following a 20% year-over-year increase. The retailer expanded its omnichannel reach through expanded U.S. delivery partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats alongside its exclusive e-commerce partnership with JD.com in China. These digital capabilities and delivery integrations have helped attract younger demographics, with members under 40 growing by 60% since Covid.
Business model & monetisation
Costco monetises through a hybrid of recurring membership fees, low-margin merchandise sales in warehouses and online, commissions or service fees from ancillary member services, and margin contribution from private-label products such as Kirkland Signature. Pricing is designed to maximise renewal, basket size and purchase frequency rather than extract high gross margins per item.
- Merchandise sales in warehouses
- Retail Margin
- E-commerce merchandise sales
- Retail Margin
- Annual membership fees
- Content Subscription
- Ancillary member services
- Service Fee
- Private-label product contribution
- Retail Margin
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
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Competitors & alternatives
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Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Costco (2026-10-16)
financials · Recorded impact score: 2.8/5
On October 13, 2026, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee of Costco Wholesale Corporation's Board of Directors approved the executive bonus criteria for fiscal 2027. Under the Fiscal 2027 Executive Bonus Plan, the Chief Executive Officer is eligible for a base bonus of $1.2 million, comprising $500,000 tied to sales goals, $500,000 tied to pre-tax income targets, and $200,000 linked to quantitative environmental and social metrics. Other executive officers are eligible for a base bonus of $400,000, structured as $160,000 for sales, $160,000 for pre-tax income, and up to $80,000 for environmental and social objectives. Sales and pre-tax income components allow payouts ranging from 0% to 120% of target amounts based on performance.
- CEO fiscal 2027 base bonus is set at $1.2 million, consisting of $500,000 tied to sales targets, $500,000 to pre-tax income, and $200,000 to environmental and social performance metrics.
- Non-CEO executive officers are eligible for a base bonus of $400,000, allocated as $160,000 for sales, $160,000 for pre-tax income, and up to $80,000 for environmental and social metrics.
10-K Financial Filing Analysis for Costco (2026-10-07)
financials · Recorded impact score: 4.5/5
Costco Wholesale Corporation reported robust financial results for the fiscal year ended August 30, 2026. Total revenue reached $303.15 billion, up 10.1% year-over-year, supported by net sales of $297.25 billion and membership fees of $5.91 billion (+11.0%). Operating income expanded 12.5% to $11.69 billion, while net income rose 13.9% to $9.23 billion ($20.76 per diluted share). Top-line growth was underpinned an 8% comparable sales increase, driven by a 5% gain in average ticket and a 3% uptick in shopping frequency, alongside net additions of 25 warehouses to bring total units to 939 worldwide. High membership renewal rates persisted at 92.3% in the U.S. and Canada and 89.8% globally, reflecting continued member loyalty amid macro uncertainty.
- Total revenue expanded to $303,154 million in FY2026 from $275,235 million in FY2025, with net income advancing 14% to $9,226 million ($20.76 diluted EPS).
- Paid memberships grew to 84.1 million (150.4 million total cardholders) with renewal rates at 92.3% in the U.S. and Canada, generating $5,907 million in membership fee revenue.
Costco Digital Sales Hit $33B, Up 20%
Retail Media · Recorded impact score: 4/5
Costco reported that digitally-enabled sales, including third-party delivery, surpassed $33 billion in fiscal 2026, growing over 20%. The company expanded partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats for nationwide U.S. delivery, complementing its long-standing Instacart relationship. CEO Ron Vachris noted these channels drive incremental sales and attract younger members, with members under 40 growing 60% since Covid and now representing over 25% of the base. Costco's total net sales reached $297.2 billion, up 10% year-over-year, with pharmacy growing 20% due to digital capabilities. Delivery partners require membership verification at checkout, reinforcing the membership model.
- Costco digitally-enabled sales exceeded $33 billion in fiscal 2026, growing over 20%.
- Costco partnered with DoorDash and Uber Eats for nationwide U.S. delivery.
8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Costco (2026-09-24)
financials · Recorded impact score: 4/5
On September 24, 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation filed a Form 8-K under Item 2.02 (Results of Operations and Financial Condition) announcing its operating results for the 16-week fourth quarter and the 52-week fiscal year ended August 30, 2026. The filing serves as the official SEC furnishing of the company's fiscal 2026 earnings press release (Exhibit 99.1) and fourth-quarter supplemental data package (Exhibit 99.2). The submission was authorized and signed by Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip.
- Costco reported operating results for its 16-week fourth quarter and 52-week fiscal year ended August 30, 2026.
- The filing furnishes Exhibit 99.1 (earnings press release) and Exhibit 99.2 (fourth quarter fiscal 2026 supplemental information) under Item 2.02.
Costco and Uber Expand Grocery Delivery to 47 States
Retail Media · Recorded impact score: 2/5
Costco has expanded its U.S. grocery delivery partnerships with Uber and DoorDash, significantly broadening its same-day delivery reach. The Uber Eats partnership now covers nearly 600 U.S. locations across 47 states, up from 17, requiring membership verification. Concurrently, Costco has joined DoorDash's marketplace, offering delivery from about 630 locations in 47 states and Washington, D.C. Uber provides benefits like Uber One discounts, while DoorDash offers scheduled delivery. These moves aim to scale Costco's e-commerce, with same-day delivery growing faster than its overall digital business. Instacart remains a key longstanding partner, with recent expansions in Europe, intensifying competition among delivery platforms.
- Costco and Uber expanded their Uber Eats partnership from 17 to 47 states, covering nearly 600 U.S. locations.
- Costco joined DoorDash's marketplace, offering delivery from approximately 630 locations across 47 states and Washington, D.C.
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Questions about Costco
What is Costco?
Costco is a public membership warehouse retailer that sells merchandise through physical warehouses and e-commerce sites.
Who uses Costco?
Households, value-focused consumers and small businesses use Costco for bulk purchasing, discounted goods and member-only services.
How does Costco make money?
Costco makes money from merchandise sales, annual membership fees, ancillary service commissions and private-label product margins.
Sources & coverage
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20 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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