Costco Wholesale Corp. posted solid total and comparable store gains in December.
Costco net sales for the year’s final month gained 9.9% to $26.15 billion year over year. Comps, excluding fuel and foreign exchange effects, grew 8.1%.
Comps for stores operating in the United States increased by 7.4%, while those in Canada increased by 11.9%, and those in other international locations increased by 8.1%, the company noted. E-commerce comps gained 17.4%.
In a conference call, Costco reported U.S. store traffic gained 6.5%. By region, U..S sales were strongest in the Midwest, Texas and the Southeast. In terms of merchandise categories, Non-Foods was up year-over-year in the high single digits, with gift cards, jewelry and tires leading the way. Food/Sundries and Fresh Food also gained in the high single digits.
