Costco
Membership warehouse retail · United States
Costco runs membership warehouses and e-commerce sites that sell a limited range of branded and Kirkland Signature products at low prices, with annual membership fees making up most of its profit cushion.
What makes it different
Membership fees are at the core of its profit.
$5.907BMembership fee incomeFY2026
It sells goods at thin margins and relies on fees paid by members.
How big it is
How big is Costco?
$303BTotal revenueFY2026
939Warehouses2026
84.1MPaid membershipsQ4 2026
How it makes money FY2026
Sales at thin margins, plus fees.
- Net sales98%$297B
- Membership fees2%$5.91B
How the business works
Fee in. Low prices out.
- 1Annual membership fee
- 2Limited range, thin margins
- 3Huge volumes, low costs
Low prices keep members renewing, which feeds buying power.
Brands and businesses
More than Costco.
Who owns it
- Vanguard Group, Inc.9.79%
- BlackRock, Inc.7.83%
CEO: Ron M. Vachris
Who it competes with
AmazonKey moments
- 1976Price Club opens in San Diego
- 1983First Costco warehouse opens in Seattle
- 1993Costco merges with Price Club
- 1994First international steps: U.K. and Korea
- 1997Non-warehouse assets spun off; Costco name returns
Sources
Every number on this page comes from Costco's own reports.
Full profile
The rest of the story is in the app.
What Costco tracks23 metrics
Paid memberships
U.S. & Canada renewal rate
Warehouses in operation
Results, quarter by quarterwith a chart
Revenue
Profit
Margin
Where the money comes from3 regions
United States
Canada
Other International
The full timeline13 moments
2019
2023
2024
Costco vs Walmartside by side
Revenue
Profit
People
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