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Costco shows some sign of a bounce back, but e-commerce still lagging

The retailer had positive sales growth in April in some categories

Bill Wilson, Senior editor at Supermarket News

May 10, 2023

1 Min Read
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Costco's online sales dropped nearly 6% in April, according to monthly sales data released by the company.

The superstore suffered a 5.9% decline in e-commerce business in April compared to April 2022.

That was really the only blemish in the latest four-week report for Costco, as comparable sales were up 1.4% in April after suffering a 1.1% decline in March. The retailer’s net sales were up 3% to $17.85 billion.

The start of 2023, however, has not been one of sales glamour for Costco, which is headquartered in Issaquah, Wash. March showed a decline in sales not seen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Costco posted a 0.9% gain after excluding the impact of changes in gasoline prices, marking the smallest gain since April 2020 when consumers were on lockdown due to COVID-19. It’s important to note that the Institute for Supply Management revealed the service sector in March experience slower-than-expected growth.

In December and January, Costco's overall sales were up 6%, but by February that number was at just 3.5%.

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About the Author

Bill Wilson

Senior editor at Supermarket News

Bill Wilson is the senior editor at Supermarket News, covering all things grocery and retail. He has been a journalist in the B2B industry for 25 years. He has received two Robert F. Boger awards for his work as a journalist in the infrastructure industry and has over 25 editorial awards total in his career. He graduated cum laude from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a major in broadcast communications.

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