ISSAQUAH, WA, Nov 05, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco") (NASDAQ: COST) today
reported net sales of $5.68 billion for the month of October, the
four weeks ended November 1, 2009, an increase of seven percent from
$5.30 billion in the same four-week period last year.
For the first nine weeks of its reporting period ended November 1,
2009, the Company reported net sales of $12.53 billion, an increase of
five percent from $11.97 billion during the similar period last year.
Comparable sales for the four-week and nine-week periods ended
November 1, 2009, were as follows:
4 Weeks 9 Weeks
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U.S. 2% 0%
International 17% 11%
Total Company 5% 3%
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The strengthening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar
had a positive impact on October's reported comparable sales, which
is in contrast to the previous fourteen months, during which time
such impact had been negative. Comparable sales for the four-week and
nine-week periods, excluding the positive impact of foreign exchange,
as well as the negative impact from gasoline deflation, were as
follows:
4 Weeks 9 Weeks
------- -------
U.S. 3% 3%
International 7% 8%
Total Company 4% 4%
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Additional discussion of these sales results is available on a
pre-recorded telephone message. You can access the recording by
dialing 1-800-642-1687 (conference ID 75875022). This recorded
message will be available today through 5:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday,
November 6, 2009.
Costco currently operates 562 warehouses, including 409 in the United
States and Puerto Rico, 77 in Canada, 21 in the United Kingdom, seven
in Korea, six in Taiwan, nine in Japan, 32 in Mexico and one in
Australia. The Company also operates Costco Online, an electronic
commerce web site, at www.costco.com and at www.costco.ca in Canada.
The Company plans to open an additional five new warehouses
(including the relocation of one warehouse to a larger and
better-located facility), prior to the end of calendar 2009.
Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded
telephone message constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For
these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address
activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company
expects or anticipates may occur in the future. Such forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual
events, results or performance to differ materially from those
indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to, domestic and international economic
conditions, including exchange rates, the effects of competition and
regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and
small business spending patterns and debt levels, conditions
affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real
estate, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees
(including health care costs), geopolitical conditions and other risks
identified from time to time in the Company's public statements and
reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACTS:
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Richard Galanti
425/313-8203
Bob Nelson
425/313-8255
Jeff Elliott
425/313-8264
SOURCE: Costco