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Costco · 2026 report · 12 min

How Costco is organized

Costco has warehouses in 14sec.gov ·2026 countries and one head office near Seattle. How does it run them all, and who works where?

WAREHOUSEMEMBERS
Ticket 01 · The guess

Where do Costco's people work?

Costco employs 355,000 peoplesec.gov ·2026. Some work in offices: the head office in Issaquah, Washington, near Seattle, or regional offices. The rest work in the warehouses and in moving goods to them.

What share of all the employees work in the warehouses and in moving goods?

40%
0%100%
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Sources and every number (2)

Sources

  • Costco Wholesale Corporation Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 30, 2026 · Costco Wholesale Corporation (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2026
  • Costco Annual Meeting of Shareholders presentation, January 23, 2025 (figures from fiscal 2024 and January 2025) · Costco Wholesale Corporation (investor relations), 2024

Every number

  • 14sec.gov ·2026 · Counted from Item 1's list of countries: the U.S. (with Puerto Rico) and thirteen others.
  • 355,000 peoplesec.gov ·2026 · Employees worldwide at the end of fiscal 2026 (Item 1, Human Capital).
  • 95%sec.gov ·2026 · Approximate share of employees who work in Costco's membership warehouses and distribution channels, end of fiscal 2026 (Item 1, Human Capital).
  • 25 yearssec.gov ·2026 · Most of Costco's officers have more than this many years with the company (Item 1, executive officers).
  • 897q4cdn.com ·2024 · Warehouse managers profiled in Costco's January 2025 shareholder-meeting slides.
  • 87%q4cdn.com ·2024 · Share of those warehouse managers who started at Costco as hourly staff (January 2025 shareholder-meeting slides).
  1. Lessons›
  2. Big companies›
  3. Costco
  • ·Before this: How Costco makes money
  • ·Next: Kirkland Signature
  • ·Free guide: How Costco makes money
Skip to the lesson
Back to the home page and map, from TryOwning · Costco · Lesson 2
Part 1 of 3Part 1 of 3, 0 done

Costco · 2026 report · 12 min

How Costco is organized

Costco has warehouses in 14sec.gov ·2026 countries and one head office near Seattle. How does it run them all, and who works where?

WAREHOUSEMEMBERS
Ticket 01 · The guess

Where do Costco's people work?

Costco employs 355,000 peoplesec.gov ·2026. Some work in offices: the head office in Issaquah, Washington, near Seattle, or regional offices. The rest work in the warehouses and in moving goods to them.

What share of all the employees work in the warehouses and in moving goods?

40%
0%100%
Words to know

Spot something wrong?

Tell us what looks off. No name or email needed.

What kind of problem?

0 / 1000

We'll also send this page, the lesson, ticket 1, so we can find it. Nothing else. Privacy

·
Sources and every number (2)

Sources

  • Costco Wholesale Corporation Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 30, 2026 · Costco Wholesale Corporation (filed with the U.S. SEC), 2026
  • Costco Annual Meeting of Shareholders presentation, January 23, 2025 (figures from fiscal 2024 and January 2025) · Costco Wholesale Corporation (investor relations), 2024

Every number

  • 14sec.gov ·2026 · Counted from Item 1's list of countries: the U.S. (with Puerto Rico) and thirteen others.
  • 355,000 peoplesec.gov ·2026 · Employees worldwide at the end of fiscal 2026 (Item 1, Human Capital).
  • 95%sec.gov ·2026 · Approximate share of employees who work in Costco's membership warehouses and distribution channels, end of fiscal 2026 (Item 1, Human Capital).
  • 25 yearssec.gov ·2026 · Most of Costco's officers have more than this many years with the company (Item 1, executive officers).
  • 897q4cdn.com ·2024 · Warehouse managers profiled in Costco's January 2025 shareholder-meeting slides.
  • 87%q4cdn.com ·2024 · Share of those warehouse managers who started at Costco as hourly staff (January 2025 shareholder-meeting slides).
  1. Lessons›
  2. Big companies›
  3. Costco
  • ·Before this: How Costco makes money
  • ·Next: Kirkland Signature
  • ·Free guide: How Costco makes money