About COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP
Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) with its subsidiaries is engaged in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Australia, and through majority owned subsidiaries in Taiwan and Korea. Costco buys the majority of its merchandise directly from manufacturers and route it to a cross-docking consolidation point (depot) or directly to its warehouses. The Company's depots receive container-based shipments from manufacturers and reallocate these goods for shipment to its individual warehouses, generally in less than 24hours. Costco's typical warehouse format averages approximately 143,000 square feet. The Company's warehouses generally operate on a seven-day, 69-hour week. The Company carries an average of approximately 3,300 to 3,800 active stock keeping units (SKUs) per warehouse in its core warehouse business. Many consumable products are offered for sale in case, carton, or multiple-pack quantities only.