Costco is one of the world’s largest retailers. You might have come across one of its giant warehouses before, with bold red branding and tempting sales.
It is well-known for its membership structure, and millions of people pay to join Costco and benefit from lower prices every year.
But regardless of whether or not you’re part of the club, there are plenty of interesting facts about Costco.
Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman founded Costco Wholesale in 1983, opening their first warehouse in Seattle, Washington.
Costco made $3 billion in sales in less than six years. It was the first company to reach this amount from $0 within such a short time frame.
The idea of Costco’s membership structure came from Price Club, which was founded seven years earlier by Sol Price, a mentor to Jim Sinegal.
Costco’s membership structure was designed to serve both small businesses and some non-business customers. It drew on the experiences of Price Club, where Jim Sinegal worked, which had expanded to a non-business audience.
In 1993, Costco Wholesale and Price Club merged to create PriceCostco. By this time, the company had 206 warehouses and was making more than $16 billion every year.
Costco employees get a free annual membership. They can also give free memberships to three other people they choose.
Costco has warehouses in over a dozen countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Washington CEO Magazine rated Costco as one of the best companies in the state of Washington to work for.
Costco sells its famous hot dogs for a steal at just $1.50. First introduced in 1984, the price has stayed the same since. Costco keeps prices low to attract customers who spend money elsewhere in the store.
The smallest Costco store is located in Juneau, Alaska. At 76,696 square feet (7,125 square meters), it’s around half the size of the average Costco warehouse.
By contrast, the largest Costco store in the world is in Salt Lake City, Utah. It measures 235,000 square feet (21,832 square meters) and is also home to a Costco Business Center.
Despite the large size of the average Costco warehouse, you will only find an average of 4,000 different items for sale. By comparison, other large supermarkets sell 50,000-100,000 different items.
Costco’s own brand is Kirkland Signature, which was launched in 1995. It is named after the city of Kirkland in Washington, where Costco was headquartered.
Costco even sells its own brand of gasoline. According to Costco, this top-tier gas can help keep your engine clean and improve fuel economy.
In 2024, Costco raised its membership prices for the first time in seven years, increasing its basic membership from $60 to $65 per year.
There is almost no limit to what you might find on sale at Costco. After successfully selling bars of gold and silver coins, Costco began selling platinum bars in 2024.
In 2012, CNBC aired The Costco Craze: Inside the Warehouse Giant, which became one of the channel’s most-watched documentaries.
One of Costco’s most popular items is the rotisserie chicken, which sells for $4.99. In 2023 alone, Costco sold 137 million rotisserie chickens.
Costco publishes a magazine called Costco Connection. Members can learn more about home furnishing, recipes, and money-saving tips.
A Costco store in China was forced to close early on its opening day because of overcrowding. The popular store opened on August 27, 2019, with customers queuing for two hours to pay for their goods.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of people bought life-sized teddy bears from Costco. The bears, priced at $299.99, measured 93 inches (236 centimeters) tall and gained widespread media coverage.
Costco sells an emergency food pallet containing 246 21.7 oz (615 g) cans of freeze-dried meals designed to feed one person for a whole year.
Every Costco store has a food court, but the type of food served varies by country. For example, poutine is sold in Canada, and clam chowder is sold in Japan.
When you leave a Costco store, you will be met by an “exit greeter” who checks your receipt. The role of exit greeters is to provide extra customer service and ensure shoppers have been charged correctly.
In 2014, Costco was fined $335,000 for failing to repair leaks and keep servicing records for its refrigeration equipment. Costco was required to pay an additional $2 million over three years to fix the equipment.
In 2021, Costco amicably resolved an eight-year legal dispute with jewelry company Tiffany & Co. after selling generic diamond rings under the name ‘Tiffany.’
You can buy the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle at Costco. With 60,000 pieces, the finished puzzle measures 8 feet (2.4 meters) by 29 feet (8.8 meters).
The number of Costco members is constantly increasing. In 2023, Costco had more than 127 million members, up from 118 million the previous year.
It’s not just about the massive Costco stores. Costco members can also benefit from discounts on hotels and cruises, tires, eyeglasses, and pharmaceutical items.
Costco is known for its relaxed returns policy, under which customers can return almost anything if they are not happy. Items generally do not have a time limit for returns, with a few exceptions like electronic goods.
In 2024, Costco announced it was launching a new retail media network. The initiative targets customers with relevant advertisements.
Since its creation in 1983, Costco has become a household name, welcoming millions of customers to its exclusive club every year.
Its well-known Kirkland Signature brand and varied range of items mean you can spend hours shopping at Costco.
From sunglasses to giant teddy bears and gold bars, who knows what else you might discover on your next trip to Costco?
