Timeline
1976
2009
2011
- Sol & Robert Price raise $2.5 million from friends and family to open Price Club on July 12th, the first warehouse club for business shoppers only. The warehouse was located in a remodelled airplane hangar on Morena Boulevard in San Diego, California.
- After a $750,000 loss the first year of operation, Price Club now has two locations, 900 employees, 200,000 members, and a profit of $1 million dollars.
- The Price Company offers public stock on July 12th.
- Jeff Brotman and Jim Sinegal meet and draw up plans to start a new wholesale club business.
- The first Costco warehouse opens in September in Seattle, Washington.
- By the end of the year two, additional locations had opened in Portland, Oregon and Spokane, Washington.
- The fourth Costco warehouse opens in Salt Lake City, Utah
- By calendar year-end, there were nine Costco's in five states, serving over 200,000 members.
- Price Club sales exceed $1 billion.
- The Price Company stock splits 2-for-1 on June 13th.
- Costco offers public stock on December 5th.
- Costco's first hot dog cart opens. The price for a hot dog and a soda is $1.50.
- Costco opens it's first Canadian warehouse in Burnaby, British Columbia.
- Price Club is 10 years old and is named the Forbes Magazine's "Best Managed Company".
- The company has 22 locations, 3.2 million members, and 7,294 employees.
- Costco is three years old and has 17 locations, 1.3 million members, and 3,740 employees.
- Costco's first Pharmacy opens in Portland, Oregon and the Tukwila, WA warehouse becomes the house of the company's first fresh meat department.
- The Price Company Stock splits 2-for-1 on February 4th.
- Costco opens it's first produce and bakery departments.
- Both Price Club and Costco open their first Optical Labs.
- Costco closed Mid West Division and focused on East & West Coast markets.
- Costco begins the year with 46 warehouses in operation.
- The Price Company is the third most profitable company in the United States.
- The first 1-Hour Photo opens in the Chula Vista warehouse in December.
- Costco Stock splits 2-for-1 on May 16th.
- The first Price Club in Mexico City opens.
- Costco's stock splits 3-for-2 on March 9th.
- In December Costco opens it's 100th warehouse in Miami Lakes, Florida.
- Costco celebrates its 10th anniversary in September.
- Shareholders approve the merger of Price Company and Costco.
- PriceCostco is formed and opens its first warehouse in the United Kingdom in West Thurrock, Essex, England
- The first Asia Costco opens in Seoul, Korea.
- First Hearing Aid Centre opens.
- Price Enterprises spin-off in December.
- The 200th location opens in Wenatchee, Washington.
- The first gas station opens in Tucson, Arizona.
- Kirkland Signature, Costco's exclusive private label, is introduced.
- The company officially changes it's name from PriceCostco to Costco Companies, Inc.
- The first Taiwan Costco opens in Kaohsiung.
- Executive Membership is introduced.
- Costco opens five locations in Detroit, Michigan on the same day.
- E-Commerce at Costco.com brings Costco prices and services to the internet.
- The first Japan warehouse opens in Hisayama.
- Special order kiosk introduced.
- The Costco American Express co-branded membership credit card is introduced.
- The average annual sales per warehouse reaches $100 million.
- The Company changes it's name to Costco Wholesale Corporation on August 30th.
- The 2% reward program is initiated, increasing Executive Member value even more.
- Costco opens its Travel Business.
- Costco's stock splits 2-for-1 on January 14th.
- Costco opens two locations in Texas.
- In July, the Company celebrates its 25th anniversary.
- Costco consolidates it's Canadian operations to a new regional office in Ottawa, Ontario
- 2002
- Costco enters Kansas and Indiana bringing the total number of states with operations to 36.
- Costco enters Puerto Rico with two units opened in November 2001.
- Costco finishes the fiscal year with 40.5 million cardholders and 98,000 employees worldwide.
- The Costco hot dog and soda is still priced at $1.50
- Costco Home opened in Kirkland, WA in December 2002.
- Costco.com generated sales of $226 million.
- Average annual sales per warehouse was $105 million.
- 24 new Costco locations were opened
- True Earnings credit card from Costco and American Express is introduced.
- Costco is the 5th largest retailer in the U.S. and 11th largest in the world.
- Fortune Magazine lists Costco 29th on the Fortune 500.
- Costco Enters Iowa bringing the total number of states with operations to 37.
- Costco opened second Home store in Tempe, AZ in October 2004.
- Costco.ca (equivalent of Costco.com in the U.S.) is launched for Canadian members in February 2005.
- 25 warehouses exceed annual sales of $200 million, with one warehouse that exceeded $300 million.
- 63 million hot dog & soda combinations were sold.
- Over 57,000 vacation packages were booked through Costco Travel.
- Costco opened it's first car wash facility at Seattle, WA on April 26, 2006.
- Costco was named one of the "most admired" companies by Fortune magazine.
- Costco Optical Center received the National Vision Retailers award for highest customer satisfaction from J.D. Power and Associates.
- Introduced over 200 generic prescription medications in a 100 ct. for $10 or less.
- Opened 27 new locations (US - 20, CN - 3, UK - 2, MX - 2) for a year-end total of 487.
- Over 30 million rotisserie chickens were sold company wide.
- The typical Costco location generated sales of $130 million.
- Costco was named one of the "most admired" companies by Fortune Magazine for a second consecutive year.
- 550 Costco employees graduated college.
- The current annual dividend is $.58 per share.
- Costco.com exceeds $1 billion in sales on the year.
- Costco opens office in Sydney, Australia.
2009
- Costco opens first warehouse in Melbourne, Australia.
2011
- Costco Australia expands nationally with the opening of two warehouses:
- Costco Auburn, in Sydney's West, opened 21 July, 2011.
- Costco Canberra, opened 22 July, 2011.