Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports October Sales Results


ISSAQUAH, WA--(Marketwired - Nov 7, 2013) - Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: COST) today reported net sales of $8.15 billion for the month of October, the four weeks ended November 3, 2013, an increase of six percent from $7.66 billion during the similar four-week period last year.

For the nine weeks ended November 3, 2013, the Company reported net sales of $18.01 billion, an increase of six percent from $17.00 billion during the similar period last year.

Comparable sales for the four-week and nine-week periods ended November 3, 2013:

         
    4 Weeks   9 Weeks
U.S.  
4%
 
4%
International   3%   1%
         
Total Company   3%   3%
         
         

Comparable sales for the four-week and nine-week periods excluding negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange were as follows:

         
    4 Weeks   9 Weeks
U.S.  
5%
 
5%
International   7%   6%
         
Total Company   6%   6%
         
         

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 73981471). This message will be available today through 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, November 8, 2013.

Costco currently operates 642 warehouses, including 457 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 86 in Canada, 34 in Mexico, 25 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Japan, 10 in Taiwan, nine in Korea and three in Australia. The Company plans to open up to seven additional warehouses prior to the end of calendar year 2013. Costco also operates electronic commerce web sites, at www.costco.com (U.S.), www.costco.ca (Canada), www.costco.co.uk (United Kingdom), and www.costco.com.mx (Mexico).

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, amounts expected to be spent on expansion plans, 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.

Contact Information:

CONTACTS:
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Richard Galanti
425/313-8203
Bob Nelson
425/313-8255
David Sherwood
425/313-8239