Costco comps flat in January

Costco’s same store sales flat-lined in January, disappointing many analysts who had expected a 1.2% increase.



Costco said same store sales were flat last month. A 2% gain in U.S. sales was offset by a 4% decline in international sales. Of course, the lower price of gasoline and strong U.S. dollar put a dent in Costco’s results. Excluding these negative impacts, same-store sales were up 7%, with a 7% gain in U.S. stores and 6% in international. For the month as a whole, Costco reported net sales of $8.16 billion, a 2% climb year over year.



Costco expects to report its second-quarter financial results and its February sales results on March 5.



Costco Wholesale Corp., which is based in Issaquah, Wash., runs 671 warehouses, including 474 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 88 in Canada, 34 in Mexico, 26 in the U.K., 20 in Japan, 11 in Korea, 10 in Taiwan, seven in Australia and one in Spain.