TLDR
- Costco reported net sales of $26.58 billion for September, up 8% from last year
- Total comparable sales grew 5.7%, beating analyst expectations of 4.6%
- Digitally-enabled sales jumped 26.1% for the month
- International markets showed strong performance with Canada up 9.3%
- Stock rose 1.4% in after-hours trading following the announcement
Costco posted net sales of $26.58 billion for September, marking an 8% increase from $24.62 billion in the same month last year. The warehouse retailer beat Wall Street expectations across multiple metrics.
Total comparable sales grew 5.7% for the month. Analysts had projected growth of 4.6%.
The company’s stock climbed 1.4% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the results were announced. Shares continued their gains with a 1.3% rise in premarket trading Thursday.
Costco Reports September Net Sales of $26.58 Billion, Up 8% Year Over Year, with US Comparable Sales Increasing 5.1%, Canadian Sales Up 6.3%, and International Sales Growing 8.5%.
— First Squawk (@FirstSquawk) October 8, 2025
U.S. comparable sales rose 5% when excluding the impacts of gasoline prices and foreign exchange. This beat the estimated 4.2% growth.
The company attributed its strong performance to increased customer traffic and higher average spending per visit. Both metrics pointed to steady consumer demand at its warehouse locations.
Costco’s international operations delivered even stronger results. Canada reported a 9.3% increase in comparable sales on an adjusted basis.
Other international markets grew by 7.5% using the same metric. These numbers excluded the effects of gas prices and currency fluctuations.
Digital Sales Show Major Growth
Digitally-enabled sales jumped 26.1% for September. This category includes all sales delivered to members that are initiated through a digital device.
The company recently changed how it reports e-commerce metrics. The new “digitally-enabled” comparable sales metric provides a broader view of online activity.
The retailer noted that last year’s September results received a boost from unusual circumstances. Hurricane Helene and port strikes led to abnormal consumer activity.
These events added approximately 2% to U.S. sales and 1.5% to worldwide sales in September 2024. This makes the year-over-year comparison slightly less favorable.
Analyst Response
Steven Zaccone, an analyst at Citi with a neutral rating on the stock, called the September sales “an important data point.” The results help ease worries about broader retail weakness.
Recent high-frequency data had raised some concerns about consumer spending. Costco’s numbers suggest retail trends remain “solid and steady,” according to Zaccone.
When accounting for last year’s port strike benefits, Costco’s same-store sales growth showed a slight acceleration compared to August. This suggests momentum is building heading into the holiday season.
The September results come as retailers prepare for the crucial holiday shopping period. This time of year traditionally represents a major portion of annual sales for the retail sector.
Costco operates warehouse clubs that require paid memberships. Members can purchase bulk quantities of products at discounted prices.
The company reported comparable sales growth across all geographic segments. This broad-based strength indicates the business model continues to resonate with consumers.
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