Costco Facts

Costco Facts Infographics

Costco operates special working hours for the elderly.

Costco warehouses were forced to re-adjust their opening hours to comply with the new sanitary measures against the coronavirus pandemic. In an attempt to prevent panic buying, Costco opened special hours for the elderly and disabled so that they would be able to buy their essentials first. 

Costco’s first hour of opening would be reserved for seniors and persons with disabilities only and would deny entry for regular customers.

Costco Travel offers discounts for vacations and much more.

Costco offers a wide selection of travel packages. These include discounts on your car rentals, cruises, hotels, and as well as flights. 

Costco Travel helps members book their vacation trips to anywhere in the world with cashback bonuses.

Costco has a photo center.

Costco’s Photo Center allows members to create personalized photo gifts online. Members are also able to upload these photos online and order prints.

Costco members may also order photo books, custom decor, and other personalized items. Your photos may also be placed onto mugs and calendars for more practical gift memorabilia.

You can rent cars at Costco.

Costco members can rent cars with discounted prices through Costco Travel. Members can also reserve vehicles for upcoming uses. 

Members can also choose which vehicles they would like to rent out from participating partners such as Alamo, Avis, and Enterprise locations.

Costco offers big deals on major tire brands.

Apart from car rentals, Costco also carries auto supplies such as tires and parts. Costco has several name-brands to choose from that are guaranteed of the highest quality at low prices. 

Any tires you order through Costco’s online website may also be delivered right to your doorstep. 

There are three types of Costco memberships.

The first is the Executive Membership that will be valid for one year. The second type is the Business Membership, and lastly the Gold Star Membership. 

Each membership allows access to all Costco locations worldwide. However, some memberships offer more benefits than others.

Costco gas prices are cheaper compared to anywhere else.

Gasoline at Costco is cheaper than any other major gas stations by $0.21 per gallon. The reason why this is cheaper is due to members at Costco being entitled to a 4% cashback on their fuel expenses at Costco. 

However, despite the cheap price you can get compared to other gas stations, only certain cars can properly carry fuel from Costco.

As of May 2020, Costco shares are priced at $302.43.

This is more than six times the amount of its shares in 2009 which cost $50.57. This shows that stocks with Costco are high in demand.

Costco gas stations are not open 24 hours.

Unlike most gas stations, Costco gas stations operate at specific times all week. Most locations will open at 6 AM on weekdays and close at 7 PM.

Other locations may open as early as 5 in the morning. On weekends, Costco gas stations normally open at 8 AM and close at 10 in the evening.

Citi bank has partnered with Costco to make its own Visa Card.

Costco members can apply for the Citi Costco Anywhere Visa Card as long as they have an active membership and good standing. This card can also be used in any other store apart from Costco. 

One of the benefits of owning this card is that it entitles members cashbacks on their purchases from Costco.

Costco offers several career opportunities for applicants.

Costco offers numerous positions from warehouse staff, to technical support, and management. Some Costco locations also offer internships for other departments such as Information Technology (IT). 

Members can save on generic drugs by shopping at Costco pharmacies.

Costco’s core mission is to sell items as cheaply as they possibly can. A study has found that regular consumers can save up to $100 worth of generic drugs a month by shopping at Costco. 

The best part is that you don’t need to be a Costco member to fill a prescription. Some locations will have a separate area for the pharmacy.

Costco’s Black Friday deals are also available online.

Black Friday sales are packed with irresistible offers and variety. However, if you prefer to avoid the crowds and wait in line for the register, you may also do your shopping online. 

Most of Costco’s offers and discounts during Black Friday are available online and can be delivered right to your doorstep. All you need to do is fill out a form and pay using your preferred method of payment.

Costco Promo Codes can be used upon check out.

To use promo codes, you must be an existing Costco member with good standing. A maximum of $6 in cashback is allowed and members may use up to 5 coupons at a time. 

Members may receive these coupon codes through the member’s app and emails that will alert them of sales and currently ongoing promos.

Costco’s online shop offers free delivery services.

For a minimum order of $75 or more, Costco will cover your delivery free. Deliveries are normally made within two days and can also be placed for same-day delivery. 

Additionally, orders under $75 may be charged a small service fee on top of a customer’s order.

Costco has an in-house optometrist.

Costco now accepts most vision insurance plans. Members and non-members may also get their eyes checked with the in-house optometrist at any time with no need to book an appointment. 

However, only members may purchase glasses and contact lenses from Costco’s optical centers.

Costco Wholesale is not just a grocery store.

Because of the cheaper prices, Costco is one of the best places to buy in bulk. However, unlike other groceries that carry over 40,000 items, Costco only has 4,000.

Among their selection, they also offer car rentals, a pharmacy, an optical center, and a travel center.

Costco car rentals may charge a fee for cancellations.

Normally, Costco does not charge a cancellation fee for members that have booked a reservation online at Costco Travel. However, if a reservation for car rental was made over the phone, Costco Travel charges a small cancelation fee. 

The same also applies to prepay rates.

Costco has a food court.

Members now have exclusive access to Costco’s food courts and famous hotdog and soda combo. Apart from that, Costco’s food courts also offer great deals on meals such as $1.99 pizza slices and $1 churros. 

Costco food courts have been exclusive to members only since March of 2020.

Employees at Costco receive their checks through the new ESS system.

ESS stands for Employee Self Service. This system is an automated enrollment that distributes paychecks to Costco’s employees.

The system automatically calculates all deductible taxes and sends employees to pay through online transfers.

Costco’s best seller is toilet paper.

More than 1 billion rolls sold annually at Costco. This is mostly due to the high quality of their products at low prices that make them favorable for members to buy in bulk. 

Costco also employs a toilet paper engineer to ensure that its quality is maintained before it is distributed to members. How’s that for a dream job?

Aisles at Costco are not labeled for a reason.

Costco uses this as a strategy to force members to walk around before getting to what they need. This entices them to buy more than what they had intended to in the beginning.

Costco does not advertise its warehouses.

Costco essentially spends no budget at all on advertising nor does it allocate any money towards it. Instead, the company sends target mailers to prospective members and coupons to existing members. 

It also makes use of a market-oriented pricing strategy that allows them to offer the best deals among competitors.

The Average Costco member is wealthier than other warehouse shoppers.

According to a study, Costco shoppers are typically members of a family that has an income of $93,000 annually. The company also targets business owners and those employed by the government to shop at their stores. 

Costco stated that people who come from these backgrounds often are a stable source of sales revenue for the company.

The minimum wage at Costco ranges from $14.50 - $15.50 hourly.

The minimum wage which was originally set at $14.00 – $14.15 an hour was increased during March of 2019. Costco also offers several benefits to its employees, including free membership.

They are also given a generous PTO policy and, depending on their position, can also qualify for a 401(k) match of 50%. Costco employees also receive a complimentary thanksgiving turkey each year.

Costco once accepted American Express cards as the only form of card payment.

Since 1999, Costco has had an exclusive partnership with American Express. At the time, this would be the only credit card accepted in all of its locations. 

However, after switching to VISA cards in 2016 to save costs, Costco no longer accepts American Express.

Costco offers refunds on nearly all of its products.

This applies to all of its items apart from electronic items such as cameras and laptops. Defective items can also be returned up to 6 months from when it was purchased. 

The only condition for returns is that you present your receipt and membership information. Members will also have the option of receiving a refund or claiming store credit. 

Costco’s hotdog and drink combo prices have not changed for years.

The price of this famous drink and food combo has been $1.50 since 1985. Over 100 million hot dogs are sold at Costco annually. 

While Costco could easily increase the prices of their items, keeping prices as low as possible proves incentive for shoppers to stay loyal.

Costco has a magazine.

The magazine is called the Costco Collection and features articles such as cooking recipes, the latest offers on Costco Travel, auto services, electronics, and book reviews. It also contains a few ads for its Kirkland signature products. 

The magazine is published monthly and is distributed to members. It is also the largest circulating monthly magazine in the United States with over 8.6 million subscribers.

Costco is the largest retailer of organic foods in the United States.

In 2016, Costco beat Whole Foods in organic food sales. In that one year alone, Costco was able to rake up revenue of $4 billion on organic foods alone. 

This is equivalent to around 10% of the market in the United States. Fresh vegetables and fruits are on the top of this list of purchases.

Costco also offers a wide selection of baked goods.

These products range from loaves of bread to cakes. Costco also offers bulk packages for goods such as cupcakes and cream puffs for events and parties.

Additionally, a wide assortment of pieces of bread are also available and offered fresh each day.

According to a survey, members enjoy Costco’s quality of customer service.

Costco members enjoy it so much that it has even exceeded Amazon’s customer satisfaction levels. This reflects Costco’s ongoing chain of delivery and in-house services. 

Customer service is one of Costco’s top priority and continuously aims to maintain this.

Only 88% of Costco employees have health benefits.

While Costco employees do have numerous employee benefits, health benefits may not be one of them. For an employee to be eligible for this benefit will depend on their position and how long they have stayed with the company. 

Higher paying positions and full-time employees will generally have more benefits than part-timers.

A hearing aid center is available at Costco warehouses.

Costco offers an in-house audiologist where members may have their hearing tested. Hearing aids can be ordered at any Costco location and will be made available within two weeks.

Costco also offers lower prices for hearing aid batteries for its members.

Some states do not require a Costco membership to shop at their warehouse.

This mainly pertains to alcohol due to some mandated laws established in some areas of the United States. These states include Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Texas, Minnesota, and Vermont. 

Non-members simply have to state that they are only buying alcohol when coming into the store.

Extended manufacturer’s warranties are offered at Costco.

These warranties apply to TVs, projectors, major appliances, and some computers. Costco extends these warranties up to two years from its purchase date. 

Members may also purchase extended warranty coverage through SquareTrade.

The average Costco warehouse is 144,500 square feet.

On average, a warehouse is often compared to a city block in Manhattan. The smallest Costco is 73,000 square feet.

Additionally, the largest Costco is 235,000 square feet and is located in Salt Lake City in Utah. 

Members at Costco may call ahead to place their pizza orders.

Costco members may call 30 minutes ahead before coming over to pick up their orders at their local Costco. This allows members to save time and avoid waiting in line at the counter to order.

Costco also sells ‘take and bake’ pizza which members can prepare and enjoy at home.

The Costco Business Center has a wide selection of office supplies.

Costco Business Centers are open to all existing Costco members and are generally open earlier than regular Costco warehouses. They also have a larger selection of drinks and single-serving snacks. 

Costco Business Centers also have a wider selection of event supplies fit for parties, meetings, weddings, and baby showers.

Large furniture at Costco can be ordered for same-day delivery.

For furniture items, Costco usually ships items within 2-5 business days of ordering. Costco uses GoShare delivery vehicles that can transport any large pieces of furniture and outdoor recreation items. 

The same vehicles are also used to deliver overly large electronic items bought from Costco. Same day delivery can take as little as two hours to arrive on your doorstep.

Costco sells laptops and computers at affordable prices.

Costco offers laptops, tablets, and desktops as well. However, the brands that they carry are subject to occasional change. 

Some known brands available at Costco include Dell, Acer, Lenovo, HP, and Asus.

Personal checks can be ordered on Costco’s online website.

These checks come in several design options to choose from. Members can choose to order Elite, Monarch, Proprietor, and Blue Safety Personal checks at the Costco Check website. 

Ordering checks at Costco is guaranteed to be a safely-monitored process.

Costco also sells jewelry.

Costco offers jewelry in 14 kt gold, 18 kt gold, and 950 platinum. However, these jewels are not available as loose stones or semi-mounts. 

All Costco locations only sell finished jewelry such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

In 2019, a shooting occurred at a Costco warehouse.

In June 2019, a shooting occurred at a Costco in Southern California. The incident resulted in 1 casualty and 3 people injured. 

According to reports, the shooting stemmed from an argument inside the compound. Since this incident, Costco has made it a priority to increase security within their stores for the safety of their customers.

Costco also offers floral services and delivery.

Members can choose to buy flowers in bulk for delivery. Other services such as flower arrangements, bouquets, and vase arrangements are also available. 

Costco members may also opt to get pre-arranged flowers for occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and events.

Costco has a reloadable shopping card called the Costco Shop Card.

The Costco Shop Cards can be used to buy any Costco merchandise and member-exclusive items. Costco Shop Cards also allow non-members to buy anything they want at any Costco location. 

These cards can be topped up and used in place of cash or credit cards.

You can no longer buy tickets to Disneyland at Costco.

As of 2016, Costco removed Disney World tickets from their website and selected locations that sold them. Costco members were once able to enjoy 3 to 5-day packages to Disney’s theme parks for a good discounted price. 

Depending on the package bought, consumers would save up to nearly $200.

Walter Craig Jelinek has owned Costco since 2012.

Jelinek is an American businessman, and now the president and chief executive of Costco. Costco was succeeded by Jelinek from James Sinegal in 2012.

Before succeeding in the company, Jelinek was already part of the Costco team since 1984, slowly rising up the company’s ranks since. 

Costco also offers lower prices to tickets for Universal Studios.

While Costco members may not have Discounted Disney World tickets available to them, tickets to other major theme parks such as Universal Studios are available. At Costco, a visit pass for three people can cost you less than $140. 

At the full price, those tickets would normally cost twice as much.

Costco once had a court issue with the company Tiffany & Co.

In 2013, Costco once used the term ‘Tiffany’ to describe the rings that they were selling to their members. Tiffany & Co filed a lawsuit claiming that Costco was allegedly misleading Costco members to believe that the jewelry they sell were real Tiffany & Co products and were in breach of trademark infringement. 

However, Costco claimed that “Tiffany’ was meant to be used as a generic term. Despite this, Costco lost the lawsuit and was forced to compensate the sales Tiffany & Co lost.

Non-members can still enter any Costco location.

Non-members are free to look around Costco’s many warehouses and also enter with a registered member. Costco welcomes non-members to tour the store to see if they would want to sign up for a membership of their own.

Costco Party Platters are an easy way to prepare for an event.

Party Platters available at Costco normally serves an average of 20 people a pack. Many platters are offered, including shrimp, chicken, swiss rollers, sushi, and meat and cheese platters. 

Members may also place orders for party platters through their online website for later pickup.

Nutrisystem gift cards are available at Costco.

Costco offers special deals on gift cards for Nutrisystem. In January 2019, Costco offered a special deal where you could get $400 worth of gift cards for under $200.

Costco also once priced $100 Nutrisystem gift cards at $59.99.

All Costco locations will check your receipt when leaving.

This standard practice is followed to ensure that cashiers are correctly charging members the right price for the items they buy. It also ensures that no extra items are included upon leaving the facilities. 

Once your receipt has been checked, a staff member might mark your receipt before allowing you to leave.

Gold Star Members at Costco can share their membership.

Costco states that a total of two people can be on one Gold Star membership. This applies to the primary member of the household and one member of the family. 

The second member must also be over 18 years of age and residing in the same address.

Business Membership holders at Costco can share their membership for a price.

Costco members that have a Business membership can do the same and add more people to the list by paying an additional fee. To do so, the primary member must give the additional member’s name and other details such as their contact. 

In total, Costco charges an additional fee of $60 for each card per year. 

Costco sells video games and consoles.

Most Nintendo consoles are available in all Costco stores globally. They are also sold at discounted prices lower than regular electronics stores. 

Additionally, if a console is found to have a few defects, Costco will happily take back their item supported by their generous return policy.

Costco has one of the largest pizzerias in the United States.

As of 2015, there were a total of 482 domestic locations in the United States that sell Costco’s popular pizzas. The majority of these retailers were food courts that sell their slices for $1.99.

Costco is within the top 15 pizza chains in the United States according to Business Insider.

Emergency cubes are available at Costco.

Costco offers several preparedness kits and emergency supplies for numerous emergency scenarios. These items include first aid kits, water, non-perishable foods, backpacks, and radios. 

These products are available depending on your U.S zip code.

Any items priced with a $0.97 at the end are on clearance.

Items priced as such are coded to indicate Costco’s manager sale prices to move stock. This means that it will indicate even more of a discount on that item.

However, those with an even bigger discount will have prices that end in $0.88 and $0.00. This indicates that the item will soon be discontinued and taken off the shelves for good.

The largest importer of high-end French wines is Costco.

Costco’s winery alone rakes up revenue of over $1 billion annually. This outsells most wine retailers globally. 

Apart from its signature Kirkland brands, Costco also offers wine selections from many of the best wineries in the world.

Oprah has stated that she is a fan of Costco.

Oprah once praised Costco for their generous deals and delicious food. She also stated that she was a fan of the clothing options available in their stores as well as its jewelry collection. 

The celebrity has even stated that Costco is one of the best places to get quality items for a good price.

Costco does not use plastic bags for checkouts.

Since the mid-90s, Costco has continuously avoided using plastic bags and instead make use of cardboard boxes. This not only cuts their costs on packaging bought items but also supports the green movement and helps the environment. 

Reusable totes are also available for members who don’t buy in bulk or prefer to carry their items in smaller bags.

An asterisk on the top right corner of a shelf indicates a special meaning.

This indicated that the items on the shelf won’t be available anymore once it has been removed. This is considered the best time to stock up on that item as it will soon be unavailable in all Costco locations. 

This labeling has always been used at Costco yet not many people seem to be aware of its meaning.

Costco carries a limited number of brands to make shopping easier for members.

This strategy allows Costco members a variety of brand options to choose from without feeling overwhelmed by their options. This leaves members more satisfied and content with their shopping trips. 

Each week, Costco sells $300,000 worth of cashews.

Costco states that the company buys 50% of the world’s most popular type of cashew nut. These cashews are available by the pound or in pre-packaged containers. 

Costco sells an average of $300,000 worth of cashews for each week they operate.

You can get flu shots at Costco.

For members that do not have health insurance, Costco is one of the cheapest options to get flu shots. Common flu shots typically cost around $19.99 for quadrivalent. 

Non-members are also welcomed to this service with senior citizens given an extra discount for their higher-dose shots.

Costco Pennsylvania has parking spots for horses.

This is the only Costco location known to designate such a strange parking spot. These spots are strictly reserved for the Amish who bring their horses and buggy on their Costco run. 

Costco once offered full barrels of alcohol.

The warehouse once sold full barrels of Jack Daniel’s whiskey that came straight from the distiller. A single barrel cost $8,499.99.

Buying the barrel at Costco would save you nearly $2000.

Chicken at Costco is sold for as low as $4.99.

Costco goes through several extremes to keep their prized rotisserie chicken at the price it is set at. The company controls Costco’s chicken diets and even the eggs it hatches to keep them in the same quality. 

Chicken has become one of the most popular items members get at Costco locations worldwide.

A couple once got married in the frozen food aisle at Costco.

Determined to re-enact their first meeting, a California couple gained special permission from Costco to hold their wedding in the frozen food aisle. 

The wedding was held after closing hours and the couple recited their vows in front of a stack of toilet papers.

Costco offers refills for any printer’s ink cartridges.

Any supported and empty ink cartridges are welcome at Costco for refills. Here, the staff will clean, refill, and test all given ink cartridges starting at $6.99. 

A Costco member can save up to 60% of costs when they get ink refills at Costco.

Caskets are available at Costco.

With shipping included, a casket at Costco can cost as little as $950. The most expensive type of casket available at Costco locations can cost as much as $1,230. 

On average, Costco states that these can be delivered to your preferred location within 3 business days upon confirmation of orders.

Kirkland products are of the highest quality at Costco.

Some of these products include wines, bacon, crackers, batteries, cashews, and more. Kirkland Signature items are ensured to be of the highest possible quality set at affordable prices. 

Kirkland product items were first introduced to the public in 1995 and have grown to become a popular choice of brand.

The apple pie seen in American Pie was bought from Costco.

The pie scene in the film American pie is considered to be one of the most iconic throughout the film. What makes this even more interesting is that this prop was bought from a local Costco before filming. 

Since 2010, Costco has stopped carrying Apple products in its stores.

This was mainly due to a mutual agreement between both companies to end their partnership with each other. Neither Costco nor Apple provided an official explanation behind this decision. 

However, there have been rumors that this partnership was ended due to Costco’s being passed over for iPad distributions.

Each Costco location has an annual revenue of $160 million.

Costco is the only retailer in the United States that has an annual revenue average of $160 million per location. This makes Costco the first retailed in the history of the United States to achieve this. 

The largest revenue record ever achieved was an annual revenue of over $400 million in two separate warehouses.

South Korean governments mandated Costco to be closed two Sundays a month.

However, Costco did not comply with this ordinance and remained open. The company stated that it is justifiable for them to remain open and do business as they are closed on all major holidays in Korea. 

Government officials are looking for ways to fine the establishment and also any other large businesses that do the same. Costco is assumed to have taken advantage of the FTA Act which prohibits discrimination on American firms on Korean soil.

Costco prefers not to hire business school graduates.

In 2019, Costco announced that they would no longer continue to hire applicants who are graduates of business school. Costco states that this policy is followed so that its distinct company culture be preserved. 

By keeping this method of hiring, employees are inspired to work from the group up and earn their positions.

Costco is the first company to make $3 billion in sales in less than 6 years.

This was achieved by serving a select audience and offering exclusive membership-only deals. Costco’s shopping concept transformed the retail market both in its efficiency and customer satisfaction. 

Costco’s growth worldwide also shows that it is more than capable of competing against other large retailers as well.

The busiest Costco is the branch located in Honolulu.

Hawaii has been determined to be the busiest Costco location in the world. There are a total of 3 stores in Hawaii, with Iwilei being the busiest among the three. 

Additionally, half the residents of the island of Oahu own Costco membership cards.

Costco once limited hard drives to people after a flood in Thailand.

During a devastating storm in Thailand in 2011, a flood-damaged all drives of an online backup company. This forced the company to make all of its employees, as well as their friends and family, buy all the hard drives possible from stores all over Thailand, including Costco. 

Because of this sudden surge in demand, Costco was forced to limit only 5 hard drives per customer.

The concept for Costco was drawn on a napkin.

In 1975, Sol Price and his son Robert sketched the concept for Costco on a nearby napkin. Price stated that he liked the idea of a warehouse designed retail store.

The first Costco warehouse was made from an airplane hangar.

This Costco warehouse was opened in 1976 under the Price Club name. The building was converted from a converted airplane hangar located on Morena Boulevard in San Diego, United States. 

In 2016, Costco sold 116 million pounds of strawberries.

Costco’s sales also accounted for 13% of all the blueberries in the world. Now that’s a lot of berries. 

Membership fees make up 80% of Costco’s gross profit.

In 2019, Costco’s fiscal revenue from membership fees alone was $3.35 billion. This is 8% higher than the previous year.

Membership fees are one of the most secure ways Costco turns a profit from their warehouses. 

The main layout for Costco is called the Race Track.

Costco’s layout purposely places frozen items in the back of the store. This ensures that most customers will be forced to go through each aisle to see things that they’ll add to their cart more.

The frozen food aisle is metaphorically Costco’s finish line which members will need to reach by going around the race track.

Kirkland Signature gets its name from the location Kirkland, Washington.

This was Costco’s first location for its headquarters. After 1987, Costco’s headquarters was relocated to Issaquah, Washington. 

The KPIX 5 in San Francisco accepts your Costco membership as identity proof.

Costco membership cards are normally checked upon entry of any of Costco’s warehouses. However, this is not the only place when this membership card may be useful. 

The San Francisco KPIX TSA will accept any form of proof of identity, including your Costco membership card. So long as there is a valid photo on the card and their name, it can be used to validate your identity.

Costco’s chicken has a fan page on Facebook.

The rotisserie chicken at Costco is so popular that it has even gathered a large following on social media platforms such as Facebook. As of May 2020, the Facebook page currently has over 17,000 likes and a following of over 18,000 accounts. 

Costco once recalled a punching bag filled with dirty underwear.

This incident was a result of an unknown manufacturing error that caused punching bags made from TKO, inc. Costco had no choice but to publicly recall these items for having the wrong filling inside the bags. 

Members from Cincinnati found themselves with punching bags filled with thongs, bathing suits, bras, and underwear inside of their purchased bags.

The Bible was once placed in the Fiction section at Costco.

This incident was discovered by a pastor in Simi Valley during his visit to Costco with his wife. The pastor stated that all the Bibles found in the warehouse were labeled fiction which caused an uproar. 

One of the largest car dealers in the United States is Costco.

Costco has made car shopping much easier with haggling-free and no up-selling policies and at cheaper prices. By working with auto-buying services, Costco can help its members find great vehicles they want without having to pay full price. 

Costco is unsure of how to appeal to millennials.

One of the main problems Costco currently faces is maintaining its membership support throughout the globe. Costco’s biggest maket is older consumers, which have decreased significantly through the years. 

Costco is currently looking for new ways to appeal to younger generations by stocking items that pertain more towards their interests.

More clothing is sold at Costco compared to Old Navy.

Costco sells around $7 billion worth of apparel annually. This includes footwear as well. 

Cost carries a small number of designer-brand clothing set at lower prices. However, the majority of its clothing line comes from lesser-known labels.

Around 88% of Costco members renew their memberships annually.

Costco’s renewal rate has continued to remain at this steady average for years. This shows that the majority of Costco members continue to stay loyal to the company and have a preference to shop there. 

Costco considers shopping at its stores as a treasure hunt.

The race track layout of Costco’s warehouses allows members to roam around freely to discover deals they would enjoy. For years, this strategy has been called the treasure hunt where Costco has essentially made shopping for the next bargain a hunt by itself. 

This also gives members a unique experience shopping at Costco compared to other compounds.

Members can bring guests inside with them at Costco.

One of the more strategic ways Costco gains its members is by allowing non-members to freely tour their stores. Members may bring in one non-member with them as they shop. 

By preventing them from buying anything without a membership card, they are further enticed into applying for membership of their own.

Markup at Costco is never over 15%

Costco has a strict rule over mark up prices. The company has stated that no Kirkland Signature item shall be marked up by more than 15% of the cost. 

Compared to other retailers such as Walmart with an average mark-up of 24%, Costco can maintain the lowest prices without losing profit.

You can buy a sauna at Costco.

Saunas can now be bought and delivered right to your doorstep in a matter of days. The Costco sauna is available for both indoor and outdoor use and offers a wide choice of designs and shapes. 

Costco members may purchase an infrared sauna for as low as $1,999.99.