July 12, 1976 (as Price Club), September 15, 1983 (as Costco)
Headquarter
Issaquah, Washington, United States
Number of Employees (2018)
254,000
Products & Services
Groceries | Gas Station | Tire Center | Pharmacy | Business Center | Photo Center | Optical | Business Insurance | Business Phone Services | Bottled Water Delivery | Auto Rental | Estate Planning & Powers of Attorney | Costco Auto Program | Mortgages for Business Owners, and Contractors |
Competitors
Wal-Mart | Target Corporation | BJ’s wholesale club | The Kroger Company | Amazon | Home Depot | Kmart | Lowe’s | Sam’s Club | Best Buy | Aldi |
Fun Fact
Did you know that Costco hasn’t changed the price of its $1.50 quarter-pound 100% beef hot dog and 590 ml drink in 34 years?
Strengths – Internal Strategic Factors
Low Prices
Membership Business Model
Loyal Customer Base
Doesn’t waste money on advertising
Pass savings to customers
High-Quality Products
High Paying Retail Jobs
Generous Perks and Benefits to Employees
Low employee turnover rate
America’s Best Employer
Strong distribution Network
Big pizza chain
Weaknesses – Internal Strategic Factors
Limited Product Selection
Cost of Transportation
Cater to smaller customer base
Lack of Global Presence and high dependence on selected markets