Costco tops estimates as January same-store sales rise 4%

Issaquah, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Club’s same-store sales rose 4% in January, topping analysts' expectations. The metric rose 5% in the United States, and was 1% internationally.



Removing the impact of lower gas prices and foreign currency fluctuations, same-store sales were up 6%, rising 5% in the United States and 8% overseas.



For the 22 weeks ended Feb. 2, Costco reported net sales of $46.3 billion, representing a similar increase of 6% versus the year-ago period.



The company plans to release its operating results for the second quarter on Thursday, March 6.



Costco currently operates 649 warehouses, including 462 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 87 in Canada, 33 in Mexico, 25 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Japan, 10 in Taiwan, nine in Korea and five in Australia. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico.