Marketing

Costco expansion strategy delivering on more than one front

Photo: mandritoiu - stock.adobe.com

July 17, 2026

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Costco, which saw Q3 2026 sales hit $71 billion, representing a 12% spike year over year, is reaping rewards on a few fronts due to its $250 billion strategy.

The wholesaler, which boasts a 89.7% global membership renewal rate and 83 million paid subscribers, aims to open 30-plus locations per year in "the coming years," according to a 247wallst.com report. There are about a dozen new locations in the development schedule for this year.

CEO Ron Vachris stated Costco has a "very strong international expansion over the next five to 10 years" across Canada, China, Korea, Japan, France, Spain, and the U.K.

Costco's Q3 annual revenue was $275 billion, an 8.17% boost year over year.

Membership fees hit $1.37 billion in Q3, an increase of 10.7% compared to 2025.

"A retailer that clears $275.235 billion in annual revenue while still growing comps 9.8%, adding 30-plus warehouses per year, and renewing members at 89.7% is compounding on multiple axes at once," stated the 247wallst.com report.

As Retail Customer Experience reported in early June, Costco sales are being propelled by consumers seeking cheap gas, and the wholesaler enjoyed "record-breaking" gas volume sales in its third quarter of 2026.

"Our gas team performed exceptionally well to manage this unprecedented demand, which requires multiple daily gas deliveries to many locations," Ron Vachris, president, CEO and director, said during Costco's earnings call on May 29.