Costco’s Value-Oriented Offerings and Sticky Membership Should Help It Navigate Macro Uncertainties

With a besotted member base, low-frills warehouses, and growth opportunities at home and abroad, we expect Costco’s durable competitive advantages to lead to consistent, strong performance despite retail’s upheaval. The competitive environment is intense and becoming more challenging as Amazon scales and physical rivals deliver an omnichannel experience, but we believe the values that Costco offers (driven by cost leverage, procurement strength, and top-class store efficiency) should allow it to keep traffic high. With ample opportunity to expand globally, we expect Costco to post consistently strong returns even as it grows.