Costco Case Analysis
Case Study: Costco Wholesale Corp. Financial Statement Analysis (A) A-186A
1. Chief elements of Costco’s Strategy
Costco’s strategy relies on 3 main components: Customers, Supplier and Operating efficiency. Costco delivers the value to its customers by: products provided by no more than 14% over distributors price, Lowest per unit price in the optimal container, Kirkland brand name quality at discount prices. Costco target the customer segment of middle class customers in addition to small business. Costco delivers the value to its suppliers by: Offering a broad distribution channel, Few SKUs allowing manufactures to reduce production costs, and so being a powerful purchaser. Costco achieves very good operating efficiency by: Running stores in no-frills warehouse facilities, reducing capital expenditures, cross-docking to reduce transportation costs. By gearing up such strategy with its business model, Costco was able to achieve a very competitive position with the largest market share.
2. Costco’s Business Model
Costco’s business model depends on bulk sales to member customer leading to quick inventory turnover, made possible by low prices and limited product selection among a wide variety of branded and private label products. Costco looks to achieve the maximum possible savings and passes these savings on to consumers in the form of low prices.
3. Costco performance from a financial perspective
To analyze the performance of Costco from a financial perspective, one need to analyze the different information provided in different statements, the table below provides a summary of different observations, and then a conclusion will follow after.
Reference Exhibit 5
Observation Warehouse in Operation Net warehouses added from 1997 to 2000 respectively are: 9,18,16,23. In 2001, 34 warehouses are added.
Analysis The number of warehouses added during 2001 is the maximum during the previous 5 years, with a difference of 11 relative to the greatest
1. Chief elements of Costco’s Strategy
Costco’s strategy relies on 3 main components: Customers, Supplier and Operating efficiency. Costco delivers the value to its customers by: products provided by no more than 14% over distributors price, Lowest per unit price in the optimal container, Kirkland brand name quality at discount prices. Costco target the customer segment of middle class customers in addition to small business. Costco delivers the value to its suppliers by: Offering a broad distribution channel, Few SKUs allowing manufactures to reduce production costs, and so being a powerful purchaser. Costco achieves very good operating efficiency by: Running stores in no-frills warehouse facilities, reducing capital expenditures, cross-docking to reduce transportation costs. By gearing up such strategy with its business model, Costco was able to achieve a very competitive position with the largest market share.
2. Costco’s Business Model
Costco’s business model depends on bulk sales to member customer leading to quick inventory turnover, made possible by low prices and limited product selection among a wide variety of branded and private label products. Costco looks to achieve the maximum possible savings and passes these savings on to consumers in the form of low prices.
3. Costco performance from a financial perspective
To analyze the performance of Costco from a financial perspective, one need to analyze the different information provided in different statements, the table below provides a summary of different observations, and then a conclusion will follow after.
Reference Exhibit 5
Observation Warehouse in Operation Net warehouses added from 1997 to 2000 respectively are: 9,18,16,23. In 2001, 34 warehouses are added.
Analysis The number of warehouses added during 2001 is the maximum during the previous 5 years, with a difference of 11 relative to the greatest