Costco runs members-only warehouse clubs that sell food, household goods, electronics and other products in bulk at low prices to households and small businesses. Its own Kirkland Signature store brand is priced below comparable national brands, yet those products earn Costco higher margins than the national labels they sit beside. Goods arrive in large lots and are sold from pallets in no-frills buildings, which keeps handling costs down, and the company makes money from annual membership fees and product sales, along with gas stations, pharmacies, optical centers and an online store. Costco opened its first warehouse in Seattle in 1983 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Issaquah, Washington
Founded
1983
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