Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports March Sales Results

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.

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.

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%

Argus Apr 9 session

+0.17% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – COST

On Apr 9, the first trading day after this news, COST closed 0.17% above the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Apr 9 session.

Market Context

This announcement highlights continued strength in Costco’s business, with March net sales of $28.41...

Analysis

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 Figures

March net sales: $28.41 billion March net sales prior year: $25.51 billion March net sales growth: 11.3% +5 more

March net sales

$28.41 billion

Five weeks ended April 5, 2026

March net sales prior year

$25.51 billion

Five weeks ended April 7, 2025

March net sales growth

11.3%

Year-over-year change for March retail month

31-week net sales

$173.26 billion

First 31 weeks of fiscal 2026

31-week net sales prior

$158.87 billion

First 31 weeks of prior year

31-week net sales growth

9.1%

Year-over-year change for first 31 weeks

Total company comps

9.4% (5 weeks), 7.2% (31 weeks)

Comparable sales growth including gas and FX

Digitally-enabled comps

23.3% (5 weeks), 22.0% (31 weeks)

Comparable sales growth including gas and FX

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 05

5 events

1. Mar 05

   Earnings and sales

   24h Move

   +1.6%

   Strong Q2 net sales, income growth, and high-teens digital comparable sales.

2. Feb 04

   Monthly sales update

   24h Move

   +1.1%

   January net sales up 9.3% with strong total and digital comparable gains.

3. Jan 07

   Monthly sales update

   24h Move

   +3.7%

   December net sales grew 8.5% and digitally-enabled sales rose high teens.

4. Dec 11

   Quarterly earnings

   24h Move

   +0.0%

   Q1 net sales and income increased with strong comparable and digital growth.

5. Dec 04

   Board nomination

   24h Move

   -0.1%

   Nomination of an experienced former U.S. Commerce Secretary to the board.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

digitally-enabled, forward-looking statements, u.s. gaap

3 terms

digitally-enabled technical

"Digitally-Enabled | 23.3% | | 22.0%"

"Digitally-enabled" refers to products, services, or systems that use digital technology, like computers or smartphones, to work more efficiently or offer new features. It matters because it allows companies to provide faster, more convenient experiences for customers—like shopping online or managing bank accounts from a phone—changing how we do everyday tasks.

forward-looking statements regulatory

"Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded message constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning"

Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.

u.s. gaap financial

"are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP."

U.S. GAAP is a set of rules and standards that companies in the United States follow to prepare their financial reports. It helps ensure that financial information is consistent and clear, so investors and others can compare and understand a company's financial health easily.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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ISSAQUAH, Wash., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of $28.41 billion for the retail month of March, the five weeks ended April 5, 2026, an increase of 11.3 percent from $25.51 billion last year.

Net sales for the first 31 weeks were $173.26 billion, an increase of 9.1 percent from $158.87 billion last year.

Comparable sales for the periods ended April 5, 2026, were as follows:

	5 Weeks		31 Weeks
U.S.	8.7%		6.3%
Canada	10.7%		8.8%
Other International	11.9%		10.9%
Total Company	9.4%		7.2%
Digitally-Enabled	23.3%		22.0%

Comparable sales excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange were as follows:

	5 Weeks		31 Weeks
U.S.	6.2%		6.1%
Canada	5.4%		7.8%
Other International	6.6%		6.6%
Total Company	6.2%		6.4%
Digitally-Enabled	22.5%		21.5%

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

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What were Costco's net sales for March 2026 (COST)?

Costco reported $28.41 billion in net sales for the five weeks ended April 5, 2026. According to Costco, this represents an 11.3% increase versus the prior year, despite one fewer shopping day that lowered results by about 1.5%.

How did Costco's comparable sales perform in the five weeks ended April 5, 2026 (COST)?

Comparable sales rose 9.4% for the Total Company in the five-week period. According to Costco, digitally-enabled sales were notably stronger at 23.3%, while excluding gasoline and FX the Total Company comparable sales were +6.2%.

What were Costco's year-to-date net sales for the first 31 weeks of fiscal 2026 (COST)?

Year-to-date net sales were reported at $173.26 billion for the first 31 weeks of fiscal 2026. According to Costco, this is a 9.1% increase compared with $158.87 billion a year earlier.

How did gasoline prices and foreign exchange affect Costco's comparable sales (COST)?

Excluding gasoline price and FX impacts, Costco's Total Company comparable sales were +6.2% for five weeks and +6.4% for 31 weeks. According to Costco, excluding these factors gives a clearer view of retail trends.

How many warehouses does Costco operate as of April 2026 (COST)?

Costco operates 928 warehouses worldwide as of April 2026. According to Costco, that total includes 637 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and locations across Canada, Mexico, Japan, the U.K., Korea, and other countries.