Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
NASDAQ: COST · Real-Time Price · USD
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Apr 24, 2026, 2:45 PM EDT - Market open
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Monthly Sales Update April 2025

May 7, 2025

Andrew Yoon
Director, Financial Planning, and Investor Relations, Costco Wholesale Corporation

Hello. I'm Andrew Yoon, Director of Finance and Investor Relations, and I'll review our sales results for the four-week retail month of April, which started on Monday, April 7th and ended on Sunday, May 4th. This period is compared to the four weeks that began last year on Monday, April 8th and ended Sunday, May 5th. This call will include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results, and/or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those outlined in today's call and sales release, as well as other risks identified from time to time in the company's public statements and reports filed with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company does not undertake to update them except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales, excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. As reported in our release, net sales for the month came in at $21.18 billion, an increase of 7.0% from $19.80 billion last year. April had one less shopping day versus last year due to the shift in Easter. This negatively impacted total and comparable sales by approximately 1.5%-2%. Reported comparable sales for the month were as follows: U.S., 5.2%; Canada, 1.5%; other international, 3.2%; total company, 4.4%; e-commerce, 12.6%.

Comparable sales for the month, excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, were as follows: U.S., 7.1%; Canada, 5.0%; other international, 6.5%; total company, 6.7%; e-commerce, 13.0%. Our comp traffic or frequency for the month was up 4.2% worldwide and 5.0% in the U.S. Foreign currency year over year relative to the US dollar negatively impacted total and comparable sales as follows: Canada by approximately -1.6%; other international by approximately -2.5%; and total company by approximately -0.6%. Gas price deflation negatively impacted total reported comp sales by approximately -1.7%. The average worldwide selling price per gallon was down approximately -13.4% versus last year. Worldwide, the average transaction was up about 0.2%, which includes impacts from gas deflation and FX. Ex-gas deflation and FX, average transaction was up about 2.4%.

In terms of regional and merchandising categories, the general highlights were as follows: U.S. regions with the strongest comparable sales were the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast. Other international and local currencies, we saw the strongest results in Mexico, Korea, and Taiwan. Moving to merchandise highlights, the following comparable sales results by category for the month exclude the impact of foreign exchange. Foods and sundries were positive, high single digits. Better performing departments include cooler, deli, and foods. Fresh foods were up high single digits. Better performing departments included meat and bakery. Non-foods was positive, mid to high single digits. Better performing departments include jewelry, majors, and home furnishings. Ancillary business sales were down mid to high single digits. Pharmacy, optical, and food court were the top performers. Gas was down mid-teens, driven by price per gallon changes year over year.

Looking ahead, the May reporting period will include the four weeks beginning May 5th and ending June 1st, compared to the four weeks beginning May 6th and ending June 2nd, 2024. If you have any investor relations questions, please call Josh Damon at 425-313-8254 or myself at 425.

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