Costco reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results on September 24, with revenue reaching $95.72 billion as comparable sales increased. The retailer said customer traffic and purchasing activity remained solid, providing a current business indicator of how U.S. households are responding to prices while continuing to spend on groceries and other essentials.

Key Takeaways

• Costco reported fourth-quarter revenue of $95.72 billion, up about 11% year over year
• Comparable sales excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects increased 6.7%
• Discounted gasoline and bulk purchasing contributed to Costco’s value-oriented retail model
• Costco received $184 million in tariff refunds and said some proceeds were reinvested through selected price reductions
• The results provide a current measure of consumer demand for essential goods and value-focused retail

Costco Reports $95.72 Billion in Fourth-Quarter Revenue

Costco reported fourth-quarter revenue of $95.72 billion on September 24, an increase of about 11% from the same period a year earlier. The results exceeded expectations and included continued customer purchasing activity across the retailer’s business.

The revenue figure provides a direct measure of the sales volume generated during the quarter. Costco’s results also offer information about purchasing behavior because the company sells a large range of groceries, household products and other essential goods through its warehouse retail model.

The company’s performance was accompanied by solid customer activity. The combination of revenue growth and continued purchasing provides a current data point for U.S. consumer spending, particularly for households purchasing everyday goods.

Costco’s results also showed that customers continued to use the retailer for value-focused purchases. Bulk buying and discounted gasoline were identified in the results as factors supporting customer activity.

The figures can be viewed alongside recent retail data showing that U.S. retail and food-service sales fell 0.6% in July from June while remaining 5% above the year-earlier level.

The quarterly figures therefore provide more than a company-specific sales measure. They also give businesses following the U.S. retail market a current example of consumer purchasing activity during a period of household cost pressure.

Comparable Sales Increase Across Costco’s Retail Business

Costco’s comparable sales, excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects, increased 6.7%. The figure measures sales performance while removing the effects of changes in gasoline prices and currency movements.

The comparable-sales figure provides a more focused view of purchasing activity within Costco’s retail operations. It indicates that sales increased even after excluding two factors that can materially affect reported revenue comparisons.

The result is relevant to U.S. retail trends because comparable sales provide information about customer purchases within existing operations rather than relying solely on changes in the overall revenue figure.

Costco’s results also included customer traffic and purchasing activity as part of the quarter’s performance. Those measures are relevant to retailers because sales depend on both the number of customers visiting stores and the amount purchased during those visits.

The 6.7% comparable-sales increase gives a specific measure of the quarter’s sales performance. Combined with the $95.72 billion revenue figure, it provides two separate indicators of Costco’s results: total revenue and sales performance excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects.

For businesses monitoring U.S. consumer spending, the figures provide a current retail data point tied directly to purchases of groceries, household goods and other products sold through Costco.

Discounted Gasoline and Bulk Purchases Support Customer Activity

Costco’s value-focused retail model includes bulk purchasing and discounted gasoline, both of which were identified as factors supporting customer activity during the quarter.

Gasoline is part of Costco’s retail offering and can contribute to customer traffic. Discounted fuel also gives shoppers another reason to use Costco locations while purchasing other products.

Bulk purchasing provides a separate component of the retailer’s model. Customers can purchase larger quantities of groceries and household goods through Costco, making the retailer’s product offering directly connected to recurring household purchases.

The combination of fuel and bulk merchandise gives Costco multiple categories through which customers can make value-oriented purchases. Similar shifts toward spending on household necessities have also appeared during major retail sales periods as shoppers prioritize everyday goods.

These details are relevant to the U.S. retail market because they identify specific components associated with Costco’s quarterly performance rather than relying on a general description of consumer behavior.

The results also provide a distinction between reported revenue and the factors contributing to customer activity. Revenue reached $95.72 billion, while comparable sales excluding gasoline and foreign exchange rose 6.7%. Discounted fuel and bulk purchases were additional elements associated with the quarter’s customer activity.

Tariff Refunds Contribute to Selected Price Reductions

Costco received $184 million in tariff refunds during the quarter. The company said some of the proceeds were reinvested through price reductions on selected products.

The refunds affected Costco’s pricing decisions during the period covered by the results. Rather than retaining all of the proceeds, the company used part of the amount to reduce prices on certain merchandise.

The pricing action is directly relevant to Costco’s value-focused retail model because selected price reductions affect the amounts customers pay for products. It also comes amid broader business pricing responses to tariffs as companies assess how tariff-related costs affect their pricing decisions.

The $184 million figure is separate from Costco’s $95.72 billion quarterly revenue figure. The revenue figure measures sales, while the tariff-refund amount represents money received by the company that was partly used for selected price reductions.

The results therefore provide several distinct financial and operating measures. Revenue increased about 11% year over year, comparable sales excluding gasoline and foreign exchange rose 6.7%, and Costco reported $184 million in tariff refunds.

The pricing reductions tied to the refunds add another detail to the quarter’s results. They show that Costco’s reported performance included both sales activity and specific pricing actions affecting selected products.

Results Provide a Current Measure of U.S. Consumer Spending

Costco’s quarterly results provide a current measure of U.S. consumer spending through reported sales, comparable sales and customer purchasing activity. The company reported $95.72 billion in fourth-quarter revenue and a 6.7% increase in comparable sales excluding gasoline and foreign exchange.

The figures are particularly relevant to essential retail categories because Costco’s business includes groceries and household products. Continued purchases in those categories provide a direct measure of customer spending through the retailer.

Costco’s value-focused model is also reflected in the quarter’s reported activity. Discounted gasoline and bulk purchasing supported customer activity, while selected price reductions followed the company’s receipt of $184 million in tariff refunds.

The combination of these figures provides several measurable indicators for businesses assessing U.S. consumer spending. Revenue shows the overall scale of Costco’s sales during the quarter, while comparable sales provide a separate measure of performance after excluding gasoline and foreign-exchange effects.

Customer purchasing activity adds another operating measure alongside revenue and comparable sales. The reported figures show that shoppers continued to make purchases through Costco’s retail model.

The quarterly report does not represent all U.S. consumer spending, but it provides a current company-level measure of purchases involving groceries, household goods and other essential merchandise. Costco’s sales performance can therefore be used as a specific retail data point when examining consumer activity.

For businesses following U.S. retail trends, the results also separate several factors that contributed to Costco’s performance. Sales growth, comparable sales, gasoline activity, bulk purchases and selected price reductions each provide distinct information about the company’s quarter.

The September 24 results consequently establish a current picture of Costco’s retail performance and its customers’ purchasing activity. The reported figures provide measurable information about sales and pricing without requiring broader assumptions about household behavior beyond the activity recorded by the retailer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were Costco’s fourth-quarter sales in 2026?

Costco reported fourth-quarter revenue of $95.72 billion. Revenue increased by about 11% year over year.

How much did Costco’s comparable sales increase?

Comparable sales increased 6.7% when gasoline and foreign-exchange effects were excluded. The measure provides a view of sales performance without those two factors.

What factors supported Costco’s customer activity?

Discounted gasoline and bulk purchasing contributed to Costco’s value-focused retail model during the quarter. The company also reported continued customer purchasing activity.

How did tariff refunds affect Costco’s pricing?

Costco received $184 million in tariff refunds and said some of the proceeds were reinvested through price reductions on selected products.

What do Costco’s results indicate about U.S. consumer spending?

The results provide a current company-level measure of U.S. consumer spending through Costco’s reported revenue, comparable sales and customer purchasing activity. The figures specifically cover purchases made through Costco’s retail business.