COSTCO

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Club retailer Costco Wholesale announced Thursday sales grew by 7% in March compared with March 2012, the company said.

Costco reported net sales for the month of $9.67 billion, compared with $9.07 billion during the same period last year.

For the 31-week period that ended on Sunday, sales were $61.02 billion, an 8% increase over the same period last year, when sales were $56.34 billion.

The Issaquah, Wash.-based chain currently operates 626 stores, including 449 in the United States.

NEW YORK — Costco Wholesale appears to be eyeing China's online commerce market, according to published reports.

The Southern Metropolis Daily, a newspaper based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, reported Thursday that the Issaquah, Wash.-based club retailer was interested in entering the country's e-commerce market and was in the process of looking for local partners.

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Starting this month, the more than 8.6 million readers of Costco Wholesale's member magazine will be able to use smartphones and tablets to scan more than 50 digital watermarks included in articles and ads.

WABAN, Mass. — Based on a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers, Sam's Club and Amazon earned the top spots in the retail sector of the "2013 Temkin Experience Ratings," the Temkin Group announced Tuesday. 

Six additional retailers were in the top 20 overall, including Costco, which was tied for the No. 13 spot with Nordstrom. Four retailers tied for the No. 20 spot, including BJs Wholesale, Dollar Tree, PetSmart and Walgreens. Thirty-six out of the 44 retailers in the study earned a "good" or "excellent" rating.

NEW YORK — Costco Wholesale Corp. will expand its Issaquah, Wash., headquarters, according to published reports.

The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce reported Friday that Issaquah's director of economic development, Keith Niven, said the club retailer would expand the headquarters to take up as much as 1.5 million square feet.

The Tacoma, Wash., News Tribune reported that the company currently takes up three buildings that are full.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale increased sales by 8% to $24.34 billion in the second quarter of 2013, the club retailer said Tuesday.

Sales for the first half of the fiscal year were $47.55 billion, a 9% increase over the first half of fiscal year 2012. The company's U.S. business had same-store sales of 5% for the quarter and 6% for the first half of the year, while profits were $547 million, compared with $394 million last year. Profits for the first half of the year were $963 million, compared with $714 million last year.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corp.'s sales increased 8% to $7.58 billion in February, the club retailer said Thursday.

For the 26-week period that ended Sunday, the chain reported sales of $51.35 billion, a 9% increase over February 2012. Comps for the company's U.S. stores increased 6% during the month and also during the past 26-week period.

WASHINGTON — Club retailer Costco Wholesale is throwing its support behind a bill introduced in Congress Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage.