COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP - MARCH SALES DOWN 1.5% DUE TO REDUCED SHOPPING DAYS
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 08 2026
0mins
Source: moomoo
Sales Performance: Costco's wholesale sales in March were negatively impacted, showing a decline of 1.5%.
Shopping Days: The decrease in sales is attributed to fewer shopping days during the month.
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Analyst Views on COST
Wall Street analysts forecast COST stock price to rise
24 Analyst Rating
19 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 975.690
Low
769.00
Averages
1061
High
1205
Current: 975.690
Low
769.00
Averages
1061
High
1205
About COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) operates membership warehouses and e-commerce sites that offer a selection of nationally branded and private-label products in a wide range of categories. The Company buys the majority of its merchandise directly from suppliers and route it to cross-docking consolidation points (depots) or directly to its warehouses. It operates 891 warehouses, including 614 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 108 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 35 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 19 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. It also operates e-commerce sites in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. The Company provides wide selection of merchandise, plus the convenience of specialty departments and exclusive member services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Fed Meeting Preview: New Chair Kevin Warsh is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at Wednesday's meeting, with markets keenly awaiting his economic projections, particularly regarding inflation and job growth, which could influence future monetary policy decisions.
- Economic Data Focus: The May retail sales report, due Wednesday, is anticipated to show a 0.5% month-over-month increase, which will reflect consumer spending willingness and directly impact retail giants like TJX, Amazon, and Costco.
- Housing Market Insights: This week will see the release of May housing starts and pending home sales data; while high mortgage rates may dampen market activity, any signs of increased supply could alleviate price pressures, affecting investment outlooks for companies like Home Depot.
See More
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- Cost-Cutting Initiatives: Kroger aims to support price reductions through tighter sourcing practices, streamlined operations, and cost-cutting measures, with plans to lower costs by directly importing goods and utilizing technology more effectively to enhance customer service.
- Market Positioning Adjustment: As a food and drug retailer, Kroger is working to attract consumers by lowering shelf prices, although analysts note that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential, reflecting Kroger's competitive standing in investors' minds.
See More
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- Shift to Discount Retail: As household budgets tighten, consumers are increasingly turning to discount retailers like Walmart and Costco, which may benefit during economic downturns, although their price-to-earnings ratios of 42 and 49 suggest relatively high valuations.
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- Investment Strategy Adjustment: In light of low consumer sentiment, investors should remain patient and selective in stock purchases, focusing on whether luxury goods producers' stocks become undervalued, allowing for potential gains when the market eventually rebounds.
See More
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- Investor Response Strategy: In light of declining consumer sentiment, investors should focus on consumer-facing stocks that may be affected, although the current market offers limited discount opportunities, raising concerns about new investments being trapped in overvalued assets.
- Retail Sales Trends: Despite the drop in consumer confidence, retail sales continue to rise, suggesting that as household budgets tighten, consumers may redirect spending, with serious earnings softness expected over the next year leading to deeper stock discounts.
- Warehouse Giants Benefit: Amidst low consumer sentiment, discount retailers like Walmart and Costco may emerge as winners, even though their price-to-earnings ratios of 42 and 49 indicate that these recession-resistant retailers remain relatively expensive.
See More
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- Significant E-commerce Growth: In the same quarter, Costco's e-commerce site and app traffic surged by 37%, while digitally enabled comparable sales rose by 21.5%, indicating substantial success in enhancing online customer engagement, despite a recent dip in stock price.
- Walmart's Stability: As the only 'Dividend King', Walmart has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years, showcasing the reliability of its business model, with shares also up over 150% in the past five years, further boosted by technology investments like the AI shopping agent Sparky.
- Amazon's Cloud Business Potential: Amazon's AWS revenue grew by 28% to $37.6 billion in Q1 2026, reflecting strong performance in the cloud sector, and while its stock may be volatile, long-term AI investments could lead to significant stock price appreciation potential.
See More
Investment Analysis of Walmart, Costco, and Amazon
- Membership Renewal Rates: As of Q3 2026, Costco's membership renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada was 92.2%, with a global rate of 89.7%, indicating strong customer loyalty and a stable revenue stream that reinforces its market position.
- E-commerce Growth: In the same quarter, Costco saw a 37% increase in e-commerce site and app traffic, while digitally enabled comparable sales rose by 21.5%, demonstrating positive progress in its digital transformation that enhances overall sales performance.
- Walmart's Stability: Known as a 'Dividend King', Walmart has increased its dividend for 53 consecutive years, showcasing the stability of its business model, and its stock price has risen over 150% in the past five years, providing reliable returns for investors.
- Amazon's Cloud Business Growth: In Q1 2026, Amazon's AWS revenue surged by 28% to $37.6 billion, marking its fastest quarterly growth, indicating strong performance in the cloud computing sector, although its stock is more volatile, it holds significant long-term potential.
See More
