COSTCO

ISSAQUAH, Wash. and WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Costco Wholesale and BJ’s Wholesale reported strong sales growth and produced impressive comps even without the benefit of fuel sales.

Costco reported that net sales for the month of May increased 17% to $7.14 billion from $6.09 billion last year. This year’s May results period included sales from the company's Mexico joint venture. If these sales are excluded, Costco’s net sales increase would have been 14%.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale EVP, CFO and director Richard Galanti told investors during the company’s third quarter 2011 earnings call last week that average prices in pharmacy probably would decline due to the introduction of generic versions of branded drugs.

“[The] only area where you are going to see some average price declines is probably in pharmacy where, and we've all read about it, there is some very well-known branded items that are going to become generic this coming year,” Galanti said.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The maker of Lily.B, a line of natural skin care products, has inked a partnership with Costco to carry its Lily.B multi-action rescue ultra eye cream at a special low price for a limited time at 20 pilot Costco locations in eight states.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Sales at mass-merchandise retailer Costco rose by 16% in third quarter 2011, according to an earnings statement released Wednesday.

The Issaquah, Wash.-based retailer said sales for the quarter were $20.2 billion, compared with $17.4 billion in third quarter 2010. For the first three quarters of fiscal year 2011, sales were $59.5 billion, a 13% increase over $52.7 billion during the same period in 2010. The figures include sales from a joint venture in Mexico, of which Costco owns 50%.

NEW YORK — Sales during the month of April edged up for wholesalers Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club, the companies reported Thursday.

Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco reported a 17% increase for the four weeks ended May 1 to $6.8 billion, compared with the year-ago period. For the period ended April 30, BJ's disclosed a sales increase of 12.2% to $871.7 million, compared with April 2010.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Wholesaler Costco on Tuesday said its board of directors has approved a $4 billion share buyback program. The company also raised its quarterly dividend by 17% to 24 cents, up from 20.5 cents.

The share buyback program expires in April 2015 and replaces a previous plan set to expire in July, which had $800 million remaining, the company said.

Many analysts have voiced concern that despite numerous indications of a slow, but healthy, economic recovery in the United States, growth in the number of jobs has lagged, even as it has exceeded economists’ expectations.


But another indicator that the economy is picking up speed is U.S. sales growth at Costco Wholesale, the members-only mass merchandiser based in Issaquah, Wash. For fiscal 2010, sales at the company’s 424 U.S. stores — which the company officially calls warehouses — were $59.6 billion, compared with $56.5 billion in 2009.


PHOENIX — Vitabath, a bath and body brand that dates back more than 50 years, is looking to attract a whole new generation of women with the introduction of 17 new body washes.

The brand's revival will begin with the rollout of lime citron basil, exclusive to Costco, in June. This will be followed by the release of the 16-scent Vitabath fragrance collection in July.