Costco Wholesale Corporation COST continued with its decent comparable sales growth in February. The performance reflects Costco’s ability to attract value-conscious shoppers with its competitive pricing and high-quality offerings.

Decoding COST’s February Comps

COST’s comparable sales for February illustrate its market strength. For the four weeks ended March 2, 2025, comparable sales in the United States and Canada grew 8.6% and 3.2%, respectively, while Other International markets saw a decrease of 0.6%. The total company comparable sales rose 6.5%. This follows consecutive increases of 7.5% and 7.4% in January and December, respectively.

When adjusting for the effects of gasoline prices and foreign exchange rates, Costco’s comparable sales paint an impressive picture. In the United States, comparable sales, excluding these factors, rose 8.6% in February, while Canada and Other International markets posted gains of 8.7% and 6.5%, respectively. The company’s total comparable sales, excluding these external factors, increased 8.3%.

Costco's e-commerce comparable sales jumped 19% or 20.2% when adjusted for gasoline prices and foreign exchange fluctuations. 

As a result, Costco's net sales for February increased 8.8%, reaching $19.81 billion, up from $18.21 billion in the same period last year. This follows a sales improvement of 9.2% and 9.9% reported in January and December, respectively, reflecting a strong and consistent sales performance in the past few months.

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Costco’s Consistent Growth Keeps Investors Optimistic

Costco’s resilient business model, centered around a membership-based structure, continues to be a major growth driver. The company’s high membership renewal rates, coupled with its efficient supply-chain management and bulk purchasing power, ensure competitive pricing and customer loyalty.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have advanced 35% in the past year compared with the Retail – Discount Stores industry’s rise of 12.6%.

3 Picks You Can’t Miss Out On

Sprouts Farmers SFM, which is engaged in the retailing of fresh, natural and organic food products, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). SFM has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 15.1%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sprouts Farmers’ current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of 12.1% and 24.3%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

BJ's Wholesale Club BJ, one of the leading warehouse club operators, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. BJ has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 12%, on average. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BJ's Wholesale Club’s current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of 6.9% and 4.9%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

Post Holdings POST, a consumer packaged goods holding company, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. POST has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 22.3%, on average. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Post Holdings’ current financial-year sales and earnings suggests growth of around 0.3% and 2.2%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.

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BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Post Holdings, Inc. (POST) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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