Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports March Sales Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Costco (Nasdaq: COST) reported net sales of $28.41 billion for the five weeks ended April 5, 2026, up 11.3% from $25.51 billion a year earlier. Net sales for the first 31 weeks were $173.26 billion, up 9.1% year-over-year.
Comparable sales for the 5-week period: Total Company +9.4%, Digitally-Enabled +23.3%; for 31 weeks: Total Company +7.2%, Digitally-Enabled +22.0%. Excluding gasoline and FX, 5-week Total Company +6.2% and 31-week +6.4%. March had one fewer shopping day, reducing sales by ~1.5%. Costco operates 928 warehouses worldwide.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- March net sales +11.3% to $28.41 billion
- Digitally-enabled sales surged +23.3% (5 weeks)
Negative
- Calendar shift: March had one fewer shopping day, reducing sales by ~1.5%
News Market Reaction – COST
On the day this news was published, COST gained 0.17%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
COST fell 0.52% with key peers also lower: WMT -2.93%, BJ -1.37%, DG -2.02%, DLTR -3.05%, TGT -2.27%. The stock’s modest decline alongside broader weakness suggests a sector-wide pressure backdrop despite strong March sales.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 05 | Earnings and sales | Positive | +1.6% | Strong Q2 net sales, income growth, and high-teens digital comparable sales. |
| Feb 04 | Monthly sales update | Positive | +1.1% | January net sales up 9.3% with strong total and digital comparable gains. |
| Jan 07 | Monthly sales update | Positive | +3.7% | December net sales grew 8.5% and digitally-enabled sales rose high teens. |
| Dec 11 | Quarterly earnings | Positive | +0.0% | Q1 net sales and income increased with strong comparable and digital growth. |
| Dec 04 | Board nomination | Positive | -0.1% | Nomination of an experienced former U.S. Commerce Secretary to the board. |
Recent sales and earnings releases have generally shown solid growth, with prior monthly sales reports and quarterly results often followed by modestly positive to stable price reactions.
Over the past several months, Costco has repeatedly reported solid growth. Quarterly updates on Dec 11, 2025 and Mar 5, 2026 highlighted high single-digit net sales and comparable sales gains, alongside rising membership fees and income. Monthly sales releases in Dec 2025, Jan 2026, and February’s results within the March 5 release showed consistent strength, particularly in digitally-enabled sales. The current March sales report continues this pattern of steady top-line growth and robust e-commerce performance.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights continued strength in Costco’s business, with March net sales of $28.41 billion, up 11.3%, and digitally-enabled comparable sales above 20%. First 31-week net sales of $173.26 billion extend the growth seen in prior monthly and quarterly updates. Investors may track ongoing comparable sales trends by region, digital growth sustainability, warehouse expansion from the current 928 locations, and risk factors detailed in recent SEC filings.
Key Terms
digitally-enabled technical
forward-looking statements regulatory
u.s. gaap financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
ISSAQUAH, Wash., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of
Net sales for the first 31 weeks were
Comparable sales for the periods ended April 5, 2026, were as follows:
| 5 Weeks | 31 Weeks | ||
| U.S. | |||
| Canada | |||
| Other International | |||
| Total Company | |||
Digitally-Enabled | |||
Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows:
| 5 Weeks | 31 Weeks | ||
| U.S. | |||
| Canada | |||
| Other International | |||
| Total Company | |||
Digitally-Enabled | |||
March had one less shopping day versus last year, due to the calendar shift of Easter. This negatively impacted both total and comparable sales by approximately one and one-half percent.
Additional discussion of these results is available in a pre-recorded message. It can be accessed by visiting investor.costco.com (click on “Events & Presentations”). This message will be available through 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
Costco currently operates 928 warehouses, including 637 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 42 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, three in France, two in Sweden, and one each in Iceland, and New Zealand. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.
Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded 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. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. 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, inflation or deflation, 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 and wages), workforce interruptions, energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs and global conflicts), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters, public-health related factors, 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 the Company does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
| CONTACTS: | Costco Wholesale Corporation |
| Josh Dahmen, 425/313-8254 | |
| Andrew Yoon, 425/313-6305 |
COST-Sales
