Costco reports sales gains

Issaquah, Washington Costco Wholesale Corporation today reported net sales of $4.84 billion for the month of August, the four-week period ended Sept. 2, a 6% increase from $4.56 billion for the previous year. Net sales for the fiscal 2007 fourth quarter, the 16 weeks ended Sept. 2, were $20.06 billion, a 3% increase from $19.50 billion in the year-prior period. FY 2007 net sales were $63.06 billion, a 7% increase from $58.96 billion in 2006.

Costco ended the 52-week fiscal year on Sept. 2 with 518 warehouses in operation: 383 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 71 in Canada, 19 in the United Kingdom, 30 in Mexico, five in Korea, four in Taiwan and six in Japan. The company plans to open another 14 to 15 warehouses in the first four months of fiscal 2008. This includes the relocation of four warehouses to larger and better-located facilities.