Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. Founded by James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman in 1983, the first warehouse was opened in Seattle, Washington. Costco's history is notably marked by its 1993 merger with Price Club, which was founded by Sol Price, a pioneer in the warehouse club industry.

While Costco is a retailer rather than a manufacturer of a single product, its house brand, Kirkland Signature, sources products from all over the world. These products are often manufactured by major national brands but packaged under the private label to provide value to members. Manufacturing for their various inventory lines takes place in the United States, China, Vietnam, Canada, and many other nations depending on the specific product category.

Today, Costco is one of the largest retailers in the world. It is a publicly-traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The company remains headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, and is known for its unique business model that focuses on high volume and low prices, supported by annual membership fees rather than high margins on products.