By gathering information from the Yitong Financial APP, Costco (COST.US) showed a robust sales performance in September, with a 9.3% growth in core comparable sales in the USA, and a 7.6% increase in foot traffic. The company's management pointed out that the hurricanes and consumer concerns about port strikes boosted the September comparable sales.

Oppenheimer pointed out that non-food items remained a bright spot for Costco in September, driven by purchases of bullion and gift cards, with growth slightly exceeding 10%. Analyst Rupesh Parikh emphasized that Costco continues to expect strong performance in the second half of the year, driven by outstanding product sales capabilities and unique value propositions. He added, "We also believe that due to stricter membership card checks, Costco's membership numbers may experience a high single-digit to low double-digit growth."

Looking ahead, Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe believes that Costco's sales in October may be boosted by Hurricane "Milton," while UBS Group analyst Michael Lasser stated that Costco is effectively leveraging its attractive value proposition along with more innovation and new ideas, allowing its customers to shop at Costco at an increasingly quicker pace. Furthermore, the improvement in Costco's logistics and digital shopping experience continues to increase its members' digital engagement.

Looking ahead, Costco will continue to innovate. Costco plans to open a store on the ground floor of an 800-unit apartment building in Los Angeles, marking the company's first presence in a mixed-use development. This smaller-sized store will feature a pharmacy and optical shop, potentially pioneering a new format for Costco.