Source: Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports October Sales Results

ISSAQUAH, WA--(Marketwired - Nov 4, 2015) - Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: COST) today reported net sales of $8.78 billion for the month of October, the four weeks ended November 1, 2015, an increase of one percent from $8.73 billion during the similar period last year.

For the nine weeks ended November 1, 2015, the Company reported net sales of $19.53 billion, an increase of one percent from $19.30 billion during the similar period last year.

Comparable sales were as follows:

         
    4 Weeks   9 Weeks
U.S.   1%   2%
Canada   -8%   -9%
Other International   -6%   -6%
         
  Total Company   -1%   -1%
         

Comparable sales for these periods excluding the negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange were as follows:

         
    4 Weeks   9 Weeks
U.S.   4%   6%
Canada   10%   10%
Other International   4%   7%
         
  Total Company   5%   7%
           

Additional discussion of these results is available in a pre-recorded telephone message. The recording can be accessed by dialing 1-855-859-2056 (conference ID 94078702). This message will be available today through 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, November 6, 2015.

Costco currently operates 690 warehouses, including 482 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 90 in Canada, 36 in Mexico, 27 in the United Kingdom, 23 in Japan, 12 in Korea, 11 in Taiwan, seven in Australia and two in Spain. The Company plans to open up to an additional 9 new warehouses before the end of calendar year 2015. Costco also operates electronic commerce web sites in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and 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, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally 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. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

Contact Information:

CONTACTS:
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Richard Galanti
425/313-8203

Bob Nelson
425/313-8255

Jeff Elliott
425/313-8264

David Sherwood
425/313-8239