ISSAQUAH, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2002--Costco Wholesale Corporation (Nasdaq:COST) today reported net sales of $2.95 billion for the four weeks ended June 2, 2002, an increase of 10 percent from $2.67 billion in the same four-week period of the prior fiscal year. For the first thirty-nine weeks of its 2002 fiscal year ended June 2, 2002, the Company reported net sales of $28.15 billion, an increase of 12 percent from $25.22 billion during the comparable period of the prior fiscal year.

Comparable sales for the 4-week and 39-week periods ended June 2, 2002 were as follows:

                          4 Weeks     39 Weeks
                         ---------   ----------
        US                  6%           7%
        International       5%           1%

        Total Company       6%           6%
                         =========   ==========

Costco currently operates 390 warehouses, including 286 in the United States, 60 in Canada, 14 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 six additional new warehouses (including the relocation of two warehouses to larger and better-located facilities) prior to the end of its 2002 fiscal year on September 1, 2002, and an additional 16 to 18 new warehouses (including one relocation of an existing warehouse to a larger and better-located facility) prior to the end of calendar year 2002.