Millennials and Costco

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The suburban, car-loving, McMansion-owning parents of millennials represent Costco’s (COST) core customer base. But what about millennials themselves?

As far as retail success stories go, few can compete with Costco’s run in recent years. In surveys, customers routinely weigh in on how much they love the Costco shopping experience, and the company’s unique business model is celebrated in TV documentaries and glowing magazine profiles alike.

But the fact that in early March Costco reported lower-than-expected earnings and its stock price has slumped now has some wondering if the company can stay on its hot growth streak going forward. In particular, concern is being raised that Costco’s membership model and its bulk-goods products don’t appeal to the nation’s young consumers—and that the Costco experience might not be a good match for the millennial generation even after they grow older and have families.

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11 Things You Didn’t Know About Costco

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Often much less maligned than its retail warehouse counterparts, Costco has developed a sort of cult following among thrifty shoppers and supporters of workers’ rights alike. But if you’re one of these wholesale superfans, how much do you truly know about the company?

You may have heard that the first Costco warehouse opened in Seattle and that their Kirkland brand was originally supposed to be “Seattle Signature.” Perhaps you’re also aware that the company spends no money on advertisements, instead hoping programs like their “treasure hunts,” which feature steep but limited-time discounts on luxury — and occasionally outlandish — items, will keep customers coming back. But if you’re a true die-hard fan of the shopping mecca, you’ll need to read on for the true treasures.

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Sam’s Club VS. Costco: Do Lower Prices Trump Employee Happiness

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Sam’s Club and its two major competitors, Costco Wholesale Corp. and the privately held BJ’s Wholesale Club, are in a battle for customers. For many the choice comes down to cost. Price isn’t the only factor, but if one of the three were appreciably more expensive, customers would be scurrying for one of the others. Wholesale clubs don’t attract customers with frills — all are pretty stark with a warehouse-like environment — and having items for sale at the lowest possible price is the differentiator between these stores and traditional low-cost retailers like Wal-Mart or Target .

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Costco Defies the Big Box Apocalypse

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With so many retailing giants such as J.C. Penney , Sears, and Best Buy falling by the wayside in what has aptly been named the “Big Box Apocalypse,” it’s very reassuring to see Costco , the leading warehouse retailer in the U.S., thriving in the midst of all the retail industry snafu. Costco is still posting healthy gains even as the once mighty Wal-Mart  and Target  struggle to remain afloat. So what makes Costco tick?

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Costco stands out over the holidays

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Heavy discounting and slow traffic weighed on retailers’ December sales results, but Costco Wholesale Corp. ( COST ) was among the few that bucked the trend.

The wholesale club reported sales at stores open at least a year rose 5% for the month, topping expectations for a 2.6% increase. Among the stronger performing categories were garden, automotive, apparel, small appliances and home furnishings. The consumer electronics category posted improvement from recent months, but the metric still declined slightly.

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Costco co-founder Sinegal honored with top retail award

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Costco Wholesale co-founder Jim Sinegal has been awarded the National Retail Federation’s Gold Medal Award, the organization said Tuesday. The trade association said that under Sinegal’s long tenure as chief executive the Issaquah-based company grew into the biggest warehouse-club retailer in the U.S.

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What is a Costco membership really worth?

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Costco , Sam’s Club of Wal-Mart , and privately owned BJ’s Wholesale offer over 1,475 membership-only warehouse club locations throughout the world. In contrast to much of the rest of the retail industry, Costco has continued to outperform while increasing its membership and net sales annually. This is despite the pressure from online retailers like Amazon.com  on the retail industry. Going forward, though, what is a Costco membership really worth?

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Costco Slowly Shifting Sights to International Shores

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Issaquah-based Costco is giving more weight to international stores in its plans for expansion, as recovery in Europe presents new opportunities.

Costco Wholesale is gradually putting more chips overseas as it outgrows the U.S. market and green sprouts in a still shaky European economy present opportunities to the retail giant.

Fourteen of the 30 warehouses the Issaquah-based company plans to open during its fiscal 2014 are overseas, including two in Spain, the company’s first foray into continental Europe.

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Amazon’s Pantry to take on Costco and Sam’s

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SAN FRANCISCO — Amazon.com is working on a new business called Pantry that will help it expand further into the giant consumer package goods market and take on warehouse club stores Costco and Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club, according to three people familiar with the effort.

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Costco makes plans for boosting its online sales

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Costco.com already sells about $2 billion worth of goods, but it lags far behind Amazon and Wal-Mart in online sales. The Issaquah-based chain plans to introduce new mobile apps this month in an effort to significantly expand its online business.

It’s a curiosity of how the Internet works that a shopper using a search engine to find a flat-screen TV probably will not turn up Costco Wholesale, a major television vendor and the country’s largest retailer after Wal-Mart.

Costco.com is not built to attract online hits, but it does decent business — about $2 billion in sales a year. It does so by offering everything from caskets to an 18.88-carat diamond, while attracting customers even more affluent than the average shopper at its warehouses.

Now the chain based in Issaquah, less than 20 miles from the offices of online Bigfoot Amazon.com, wants to up its game online — and experts say it’s about time.

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