ISSAQUAH, Wash., Feb 7, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of $2.73 billion for the four weeks ended February 3, 2002, an increase of 13 percent from $2.42 billion in the same four-week period of the prior fiscal year. For the first twenty-two weeks of its 2002 fiscal year ended February 3, 2002, the Company reported net sales of $16.13 billion, an increase of 12 percent from $14.45 billion during the comparable period of the prior fiscal year.

Comparable sales for the 4-week and 22-week periods ended February 3, 2002 were as follows:

                           4 Weeks          22 Weeks
                        --------------    --------------
US                           9%                7%
International               (2%)               0%
Total Company                7%                6%
                        ==============    ==============

The Company's 12-week second quarter ends February 17, 2002, and operating results for this quarter will be reported on March 5, 2002. A Company-sponsored conference call to review these results will commence at 8:00 a.m. (PST), 11:00 a.m. (EST) that morning and can be accessed at www.costco.com. (Click on Customer Service, Investor Relations and then Financial Releases.)

Costco currently operates 385 warehouses, including 284 in the United States, 60 in Canada, 11 in the United Kingdom, five in Korea, three in Taiwan, two in Japan and 20 in Mexico. The Company also operates Costco Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.costco.com. The Company plans to open 17 to 19 additional new warehouses (including the relocation of three to four warehouses to larger and better-located facilities) prior to the end of its fiscal year ending September 1, 2002.

CONTACT: Costco Wholesale Corporation Richard Galanti, 425/313-8203 or Jeff Elliott, 425/313-8264