Costco has demonstrated its capacity to attract members through its exceptional value, variety of merchandise, and multichannel convenience, as evidenced by a 9% growth in U.S. and Global Core comp for September. Even when considering the approximate 200 basis point increase in U.S. figures due to Hurricane Helene and port strikes, the core growth of over 7% surpasses the overall pace of U.S. retail sales by more than double.

Costco's September adjusted U.S. comparable sales growth of 9.3% was bolstered by unusual consumer behavior linked to port strikes and Hurricane Helene, leading to an approximate 2 percentage point increase. This aligns with positive store assessments previously conducted. Non-food categories, particularly jewelry and gift cards, continued to perform well, showing increases in the low teens. It is anticipated that Costco's strong sales momentum will continue throughout the year, owing to the company's exceptional merchandising capabilities and distinctive value proposition. Additionally, the company may experience a temporary rise in membership due to more rigorous checks of membership cards.

Costco's reported total and U.S. core September comparable sales growth outpaced consensus expectations, bolstered in part by external factors such as Hurricane Helene and port strikes. The company's traffic growth remained robust both globally and in the U.S., which suggests that Costco's value proposition remains compelling, thereby increasing shopping frequency and contributing to market share gains.