ISSAQUAH, WA, May 09, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:COST) today reported net sales of $7.98 billion for the month of April, the four weeks ended May 5, 2013, an increase of seven percent from $7.48 billion during the similar period last year.

For the thirty-five weeks ended May 5, 2013, the Company reported net sales of $69.00 billion, an increase of nine percent from $63.59 billion during the similar period last year.

Comparable sales for the four-week and 35-week periods ended May 5, 2013, were as follows:

                                         4 Weeks     35 Weeks
                                      ------------ ------------
             U.S.                          4%           6%
             International                 3%           6%
             Total Company                 4%           6%
                                      ============ ============

Changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange rates had negative impacts on comparable sales for the four-week period, but slightly positive impacts for the 35-week period. Excluding these effects, comparable sales were as follows:

                                         4 Weeks     35 Weeks
                                      ------------ ------------
             U.S.                          6%           6%
             International                 6%           6%
             Total Company                 6%           6%
                                      ============ ============

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 73979962). This message will be available today through 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, May 10, 2013.

The Company plans to release its operating results for the third quarter (12 weeks) ending May 12, 2013, on May 30, 2013. A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. (PT) that day and will be available via webcast on www.costco.com (click on Investor Relations and "webcasts").

Costco currently operates 627 warehouses, including 449 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 85 in Canada, 33 in Mexico, 24 in the United Kingdom, 15 in Japan, nine in Taiwan, nine in Korea and three in Australia. The Company plans to open up to an additional nine new warehouses prior to the end of its fiscal year on September 1, 2013. Costco also operates electronic commerce web sites, at www.costco.com (U.S.), www.costco.ca (Canada), and www.costco.co.uk (United Kingdom).

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.

CONTACTS:
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Bob Nelson
425/313-8255
Jeff Elliott
425/313-8264
David Sherwood
425/313-8239

SOURCE: Costco

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