The Costco supermarket chain is one of the best known in the United States. In recent years, the struggle to lead the U.S. market has been very tight with competing brands such as Walmart and Target. It has also been influenced by the arrival of new initiatives from foreign companies such as Lidl and Aldi. Costco’s growth has led the brand to announce the opening of four new stores in the United States: The Villages and Allen, Texas-Richland, Richland in Washington, and Spring Valley, in Nevada.
The brand’s average prices have increased by 0.3% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which could be reflected in a rejection by consumers. Business Insider stated that, according to Costco CEO Ron Vachris, prices are monitored on a daily basis, and they intend to increase the number of national suppliers. Costco has a large presence in the country, especially after its merger with Price Club, with more than 800 stores. In addition to its presence in the United States, Costco can be found beyond the U.S. borders. Countries such as China, Canada. Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Iceland and France have Costco stores in their cities.
Costco
Costco is one of the best known brands in the United States. It is a price club or supermarket chain that offers a wide variety of products to its consumers. It was founded in 1983 by Jeffrey Brotman, in Kirkland, Washington, United States. It is not an ordinary supermarket, but to gain access you must be a member and present your membership card at the cash register. Its sales are wholesale, and membership payments depend on whether the customer is a company or an individual. It is characterized by selling products of its own brand Kirkland Signature, but also products of other recognized brands at lower prices.
Market competition
The supermarket chain market in the United States is a real struggle for leadership. Brands such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Lidl and Aldi are looking for the perfect formula to position themselves in first place. Although Walmart is undoubtedly in first place, all brands are facing the difficulty of price increases due to the tariffs imposed by Trump. However, it seems that they all have in common the commitment to technology and to improve the user experience in that direction, some with greater success than others. In the case of Costco, it has been able to see how its demand continues to be remarkable, which continues to encourage the brand to continue fighting for the lead.
Costco’s growth
Costco’s growth was reflected in sales volume last June. If you compare that period to the same period in 2024, it is up 8% to $26.44 billion. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Costco’s average prices are up 0.3%, which experts warn could translate into consumer backlash. However, Business Insider published the response of Ron Vachris, CEO of Costco, “We’re watching pricing daily, if not hourly, on every key commodity,” adding that he intends to increase the number of domestic suppliers.
New openings
Given these good figures, Costco has been able to announce the opening of four new stores. Two of them already have dates, while others are still waiting to be announced:
- The Villages, Florida (August 6, 2025).
- Allen, Texas (August 8, 2025).
- Richland, Washington.
- Spring Valley, Nevada.
Costco across borders
After its founding, Costco merged with Price Club in 1993. Since then, the number of the brand’s stores in the United States has grown to more than 800 physical stores. Costo’s presence is not limited to North America, but can also be found in Europe and Asia.
- Australia.
- Canada.
- China.
- France.
- Iceland.
- Japan.
- Mexico.
- New Zealand.
- South Korea.
- Spain.
- Sweden.
- Taiwan.
- United Kingdom.
While Costco is growing, what are some of the competing brands like Walmart doing?