Costco

Company Description

Costco Wholesale Corporation, simply known as Costco, is a multinational company operating a chain of warehouse clubs. Costco sells a wide range of products including electronics, computers, furniture, outdoor living, appliances, jewelry, and more, with more than 750 warehouses in the US, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, Iceland, and France.

Detailed Description

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, China, and Taiwan. It offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories. The company offers sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, liquor, and tobacco and deli products; appliances, electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, garden and patio products, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal products, office supplies, automotive care products, postages, tickets, apparel, small appliances, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and meat, produce, service deli, and bakery products. It also operates pharmacies, opticals, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation centers, as well as 636 gas stations; and offers business delivery, travel, same-day grocery, and various other services online in various countries. As of August 29, 2021, the company operated 815 membership warehouses, including 564 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 105 in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 30 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 16 in South Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 12 in Australia, 3 in Spain, 1 in Iceland, 1 in France, and 1 in China. It also operates e-commerce websites in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.

Wikipedia Introduction

Costco Wholesale Corporation (doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores (warehouse club). As of 2020, Costco was the fifth largest retailer in the world, and the world's largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine as of 2016. In 2021, Costco was ranked #10 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Costco's worldwide headquarters are in Issaquah, Washington, an eastern suburb of Seattle, although its Kirkland Signature house label bears the name of its former location in Kirkland. The company opened its first warehouse (the chain's term for its retail outlets) in Seattle in 1983. Through mergers, however, Costco's corporate history dates back to 1976, when its former competitor Price Club was founded in San Diego, California. As of March 2021, Costco has 804 warehouses worldwide: 558 in the United States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), 103 in Canada, 39 in Mexico, 29 in the United Kingdom, 27 in Japan, 16 in South Korea, 14 in Taiwan, 13 in Australia, 4 in Spain, 2 in France, 1 in Iceland and 1 in China. Costco regularly opens new locations. The company plans to open warehouses in 2022 for the first time in New Zealand, and Sweden.

Source: Wikipedia, retrieved on March 31, 2022, 8:56 p.m.

Product & Services

MerchandiseCash & CarryWarehouse club

Key People

Founder(s): James Sinegal Jeffrey Brotman Sol Price Robert Price

Hamilton E. James (Chairman) W. Craig Jelinek (President and CEO)

Financials

Revenue: US$166.76 billion (2020)

Operating income: US$6.023 billion  (2020)

Net income: US$4.002 billion (2020)

Total assets: US$45.40 billion (2019)

Total equity: US$15.24 billion (2019)