ISSAQUAH, WA--(Marketwire - May 31, 2007) - Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ: COST) announced today its operating results for the third quarter (twelve weeks) and first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2007, ended May 13, 2007.

Net sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 increased 10% to $14.34 billion, from $13.01 billion during the third quarter of fiscal 2006. This quarter's reported sales were reduced by $228.2 million as a result of an increase in the sales returns reserve balance. This increase resulted from the previously announced continuing review of historical data of trends in sales returns used to estimate future returns recorded in the reserve balance. Excluding the increase to the sales returns reserve, net sales for the third quarter were $14.57 billion, representing a 12% increase over the prior year. The Company expects that its new return policy for certain electronic items, implemented in the U.S. during the third quarter, will favorably impact future returns experience.

Reported net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 was $224.0 million, or $.49 per diluted share, compared to $235.6 million, or $.49 per diluted share, during the third quarter of fiscal 2006. Included in this year's third quarter results is a $48.1 million pre-tax ($30.3 million after tax) charge primarily reflecting the reduced gross margin on estimated future returns recorded in the increased sales return reserve noted above. Excluding the adjustment to the sales return reserve, third quarter net income would have been $254.3 million, or $.56 per diluted share, a 14% increase over last year's $.49 per diluted share.

Net sales for the first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2007 increased 9% to $43.00 billion from $39.47 billion during the first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2006. Excluding the sales return reserve adjustments recorded in the second and third quarters, net sales for the first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2007 would have been $43.45 billion, a 10% increase over the prior year.

Net income for the first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2007 was $710.4 million, or $1.54 per diluted share, compared to net income for the first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2006 of $747.6 million, or $1.55 per diluted share. Excluding the adjustments outlined above, as well as two additional non-recurring items recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2007 ((i) a pre-tax charge of $46.4 million associated with reducing adverse income tax consequences to our employees arising from the review of stock options by a special committee of the Board of Directors; and (ii) a $10.1 million pre-tax benefit primarily to merchandise costs for an excise tax refund on prior merchandise sales of phone cards), net income for the first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2007 would have been $793.8 million, or $1.72 per diluted share, an 11% increase in earnings per diluted share over the prior year.

Comparable sales for the fiscal third quarter (twelve weeks) and first thirty-six weeks of fiscal 2007, both ended May 13, 2007, were as follows:

                                    12 Weeks        36 Weeks
                                    --------        --------
                    US                 7%              5%
                    International     10%              8%

                    Total Company      7%              6%
                                    ========        ========

A conference call to discuss these third quarter results is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (PT) today, May 31, 2007, and is available via a webcast on www.costco.com (click on Investor Relations and "Webcasts").

Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are those that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions including exchange rates, the effects of competition and regulation, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (including health care and workers' compensation costs), rising costs associated with the acquisition of merchandise (including the direct and indirect effects of the rising cost of petroleum-based products and fuel and energy costs), geopolitical conditions and other risks identified from time to time in the Company's public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                       COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION

               CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
              (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
                               (unaudited)


                          12 Weeks Ended              36 Weeks Ended
                    --------------------------  --------------------------
                    May 13, 2007  May 7, 2006   May 13, 2007  May 7, 2006
                    ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------

REVENUE
  Net sales         $ 14,341,520  $ 13,007,415  $ 42,998,537  $ 39,467,453
  Membership fees        317,735       276,233       924,358       808,553
                    ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
    Total revenue     14,659,255    13,283,648    43,922,895    40,276,006
OPERATING EXPENSES
  Merchandise costs   12,877,587    11,635,052    38,518,297    35,269,073
  Selling, general
   and administrative  1,432,650     1,282,276     4,303,108     3,864,172
  Preopening
   expenses                9,022        10,431        39,235        27,422
  Provision for
   impaired assets
   and closing
   costs, net                931         1,182         8,722         3,821
                    ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
    Operating
     income              339,065       354,707     1,053,533     1,111,518
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
  Interest expense       (26,016)       (2,679)      (31,776)       (9,326)
  Interest income
   and other              42,838        33,751       106,475        94,516
                    ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
INCOME BEFORE INCOME
 TAXES                   355,887       385,779     1,128,232     1,196,708
  Provision for
   income taxes          131,901       150,184       417,882       449,092
                    ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
NET INCOME          $    223,986  $    235,595  $    710,350  $    747,616
                    ============  ============  ============  ============

NET INCOME PER
 COMMON SHARE:
  Basic             $       0.50  $       0.50  $       1.57  $       1.58
                    ============  ============  ============  ============
  Diluted           $       0.49  $       0.49  $       1.54  $       1.55
                    ============  ============  ============  ============

Shares used in
 calculation (000's)
  Basic                  445,471       470,516       451,744       471,699
  Diluted                455,889       480,533       461,702       482,933

Dividends per share $      0.145  $       0.13  $      0.405  $       0.36

Contact Information: CONTACTS: Costco Wholesale Corporation Richard Galanti, 425/313-8203 Bob Nelson, 425/313-8255 Jeff Elliott, 425/313-8264