Costco Wholesale Corp

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites. The company began operations in 1983 in Seattle, Washington. It is primarily engaged in operating membership warehouses in the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom (U.K.), Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Sweden, Iceland, and New Zealand. Costco operated 939 warehouses worldwide at August 30, 2026, 914 at August 31, 2025, and 890 at September 1, 2024. The company also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and China. Costco's business model focuses on offering low prices on a limited selection of nationally-branded and private-label products across various categories. This strategy aims to generate high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover. Combined with operating efficiencies from volume purchasing, efficient distribution, and reduced merchandise handling in no-frills, self-service warehouse facilities, these factors allow the company to operate profitably with significantly lower gross margins than most other retailers. Costco often sells inventory before payment is due, while also utilizing early payment discounts. Most merchandise is purchased directly from suppliers and routed to cross-docking consolidation points (depots) or directly to warehouses. Depots receive large shipments from suppliers and quickly distribute these goods to warehouses. The company's common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "COST." Costco reports on a 52/53-week fiscal year, ending on the Sunday nearest the end of August, with increased net sales and earnings during the winter holiday season. References to 2026, 2025, and 2024 relate to the 52-week fiscal years ended August 30, 2026, August 31, 2025, and September 1, 2024, respectively.