Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports September Sales Results

ISSAQUAH, WA--(Marketwire - Oct 4, 2012) - Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: COST) today reported net sales of $9.31 billion for the month of September, the five weeks ended September 30, 2012, an increase of eight percent from $8.61 billion during the similar period last year. This year's five-week period includes week 53 of the Company's 53-week fiscal year 2012, and the first four weeks of its fiscal year 2013. Last year's five-week period includes the first five weeks of the Company's fiscal year 2012.

Comparable sales for this period were as follows:

		5 Weeks
U.S.		6%
International		7%
Total Company		6%

Inflation in gasoline prices had a positive impact on comparable sales for the five-week period; foreign currencies also had a positive impact for the period. Excluding these effects, comparable sales for the period were as follows:

		5 Weeks
U.S.		5%
International		6%
Total Company		5%

Additional discussion of these sales results is available in a pre-recorded telephone message. You can access the recording by dialing 1-855-859-2056 (conference ID 28780073). This message will be available today through 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, October 5, 2012.

The Company had earlier reported its August sales results including the first 52 weeks of its 53-week fiscal year 2012. Final net sales for the 53-week fiscal year 2012 ended September 2, 2012 were $97.06 billion, an increase of 12% from $87.05 billion during the 52-week fiscal year 2011. Net sales for the 17-week fiscal fourth quarter ended September 2, 2012, were $31.52 billion, an increase of 14% from $27.59 billion during the 16-week fiscal fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.

Comparable sales for the 17-week fourth quarter and the 53-week fiscal year 2012, using comparable sales periods as well as comparable warehouses (those open for a year or more), were as follows:

		17 Weeks		53 Weeks
U.S.		6%		7%
International		2%		6%
Total Company		5%		7%

Inflation in gasoline prices had a slightly negative impact on comparable sales for the 17-week period and a positive impact for the 53-week period. Foreign currencies had a negative impact for both periods. Excluding these effects, comparable sales were as follows:

		17 Weeks		53 Weeks
U.S.		6%		6%
International		7%		8%
Total Company		6%		6%

The Company plans to release its operating results for the fourth quarter (17 weeks) and for the fiscal year (53 weeks) ended September 2, 2012, on October 10, 2012. A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. (PT) that day and will be available via webcast on www.costco.com (click on Investor Relations and "webcasts").

Costco currently operates 608 warehouses, including 439 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 82 in Canada, 32 in Mexico, 22 in the United Kingdom, 13 in Japan, nine in Taiwan, eight in Korea and three in Australia. The Company plans to open up to 14 new warehouses prior to the end of calendar year 2012. The Company also operates Costco Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.costco.com and at www.costco.ca in Canada.

Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded telephone message constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements 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, uncertainties in the financial markets, 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 costs), energy, and certain commodities, 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.