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Costco Sales Surge in May: E-Commerce Leads the Way With a 12% Jump
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Key Takeaways
COST's May comparable sales rose 4.3%, with 6.6% growth in international markets leading the gains.
Excluding gas and FX, total comparable sales increased 6%, showing strength across all geographies.
E-commerce comps surged 11.6%, or 12% adjusted, boosting COST???s total May sales to $20.97 billion.
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) maintained its decent comparable sales growth trend in May, underscoring continued appeal among value-focused shoppers. Costco’s ability to offer quality merchandise at competitive pricing — both in-store and through its growing e-commerce platform — remains a key draw for consumers navigating an inflationary environment.
Decoding Costco’s May Comparable Sales
For the four weeks ended June 1, 2025, Costco reported a 4.3% year-over-year increase in total company comparable sales. Regionally, comparable sales rose 4.1% in the United States, 3.3% in Canada and 6.6% in Other International markets. This follows gains of 4.4% in April and 6.4% in March, signaling consistent momentum.
On an adjusted basis, excluding the impacts of gasoline price fluctuations and foreign exchange, comparable sales were even more robust. U.S. comps climbed 5.5%, while Canada and Other International markets posted increases of 6.3% and 8.4%, respectively. Overall, total company comps, excluding these factors, grew 6%, following strong rises of 6.7% in April and 9.1% in March.
E-commerce also remained a bright spot, with comparable sales surging 11.6%, or 12% when adjusted for fuel and currency headwinds. This builds on gains of 12.6% in April and 16.2% in March, reflecting sustained strength in Costco’s online channel.
As a result, Costco's net sales for May increased 6.8% to $20.97 billion, up from $19.64 billion in the same period last year. This follows a sales improvement of 7% and 8.6% reported in April and March, respectively.
Costco’s resilient business model, centered around a membership-based structure, continues to be a major growth driver. The company’s high membership renewal rates, coupled with its efficient supply-chain management and bulk purchasing power, ensure competitive pricing and customer loyalty.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have advanced 19.6% in the past year compared with the Retail – Discount Stores industry’s rise of 10.7%.
Picks You Can’t Miss Out On
Sprouts Farmers (SFM - Free Report) , which is engaged in the retailing of fresh, natural and organic food products, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). SFM has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 16.5%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sprouts Farmers’ current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of 13.7% and 35.5%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings (BJ - Free Report) , one of the leading operators of membership warehouse clubs, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). BJ has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.7%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BJ's Wholesale Club’s current financial-year sales and earnings calls for growth of 5.5% and 6.2%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.
Grocery Outlet (GO - Free Report) , an extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products, carries a Zacks Rank #2. GO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 25.7%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Grocery Outlet’s current financial-year sales suggests growth of around 7.9% from the year-ago reported numbers.
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Costco Sales Surge in May: E-Commerce Leads the Way With a 12% Jump
Key Takeaways
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST - Free Report) maintained its decent comparable sales growth trend in May, underscoring continued appeal among value-focused shoppers. Costco’s ability to offer quality merchandise at competitive pricing — both in-store and through its growing e-commerce platform — remains a key draw for consumers navigating an inflationary environment.
Decoding Costco’s May Comparable Sales
For the four weeks ended June 1, 2025, Costco reported a 4.3% year-over-year increase in total company comparable sales. Regionally, comparable sales rose 4.1% in the United States, 3.3% in Canada and 6.6% in Other International markets. This follows gains of 4.4% in April and 6.4% in March, signaling consistent momentum.
On an adjusted basis, excluding the impacts of gasoline price fluctuations and foreign exchange, comparable sales were even more robust. U.S. comps climbed 5.5%, while Canada and Other International markets posted increases of 6.3% and 8.4%, respectively. Overall, total company comps, excluding these factors, grew 6%, following strong rises of 6.7% in April and 9.1% in March.
E-commerce also remained a bright spot, with comparable sales surging 11.6%, or 12% when adjusted for fuel and currency headwinds. This builds on gains of 12.6% in April and 16.2% in March, reflecting sustained strength in Costco’s online channel.
As a result, Costco's net sales for May increased 6.8% to $20.97 billion, up from $19.64 billion in the same period last year. This follows a sales improvement of 7% and 8.6% reported in April and March, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Costco’s Consistent Growth Keeps Investors Optimistic
Costco’s resilient business model, centered around a membership-based structure, continues to be a major growth driver. The company’s high membership renewal rates, coupled with its efficient supply-chain management and bulk purchasing power, ensure competitive pricing and customer loyalty.
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have advanced 19.6% in the past year compared with the Retail – Discount Stores industry’s rise of 10.7%.
Picks You Can’t Miss Out On
Sprouts Farmers (SFM - Free Report) , which is engaged in the retailing of fresh, natural and organic food products, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). SFM has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 16.5%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sprouts Farmers’ current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of 13.7% and 35.5%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings (BJ - Free Report) , one of the leading operators of membership warehouse clubs, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). BJ has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.7%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BJ's Wholesale Club’s current financial-year sales and earnings calls for growth of 5.5% and 6.2%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.
Grocery Outlet (GO - Free Report) , an extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products, carries a Zacks Rank #2. GO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 25.7%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Grocery Outlet’s current financial-year sales suggests growth of around 7.9% from the year-ago reported numbers.