I’ve been speaking and writing about customer service since January 1980, and there is only a handful of companies that have been relentless and kept their focus on incredible customer service. The pandemic gave most firms an excuse to say, “To hell with the customer.”

Costco is one of the few companies that have never lost sight of their focus on the customer experience. Its fiscal year sales, ending Sept. 1, 2024, totaled $249.6 billion—an increase of 5% from $237.7 billion in 2023. This is a $11.9 billion increase in sales.

Costco currently operates 890 warehouses, including 614 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 108 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 35 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 19 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, four in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Australia. It’s open seven days a week.

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