Costco started paying dividends in 2004 and since then, for seven consecutive years annual dividends have gone up.  For the most recent quarter (3q2013) quarterly dividend

is up 12.7% qoq to 31.0 cents a share after being stuck at 27.5c the previous two quarters (2013 q1/q2).  36 wk period dividend (excl special) up 79% to 86.0c;  12 wks ended Feb 13, 2013 included a special dividend of $7.00 + $0.275 ($0.24 -> $7.275).  18% of Costco's annual revenue comes during the months of November and December. May 12, 2013 : 627 locations, 3Q 5 net additional stores, US +1, Mexico +1, UK +1, Japan +2. 1h2013 +14.  80% of the company's 38.3m/69.9m members (May 2013) are from the US, Canada region.

Fast Facts : 1) Costco ranks #4 among US optical shops in terms of sales.  2) 1995 was the year Costco launched the Kirkland private label.  3) Average store size is 143 thousand square feet (4Q2011).  The largest store is located in Oregon.  4) Daily transactions number over 2 million.  5) Costco's jewelry segment sells over 80,000 carats of diamonds each year.  6)  In 2012 average Costco warehouse had sales of $154 million (+7%).  6)  Comparable sales at stores open more than a year +10%  7)  Costco sold $9.0 billion worth of gas in 2011 up 40% from 2010  8) 15% of all merchandise is sold under the Kirkland Signature banner. 9) exec members account for 1/3 of members but 2/3 sales

Members / New Membership Fees

3q2013:  Memberships -- 38.3m total households ---  Gold star 28.2m, Primary Business 6.6m, addon 3.5m, total 69.9m including spouses.  Executive members contribute two thirds of sales: 13.3m up 250,000 in 12 wks (versus 181,000 previous 12 weeks). % of members who are executive up 1%.

2q2013:  Memberships -- 37.9m total households --- Gold star 27.8m, PB 6.5m, addon 3.5m, total including spouses 69.1m.  Executive members 13.05m +181,000. 

1q2013:  Memberships -- 37.4m total households --- Gold star 27.3m, PB 6.5m, addon 3.6m, total including spouses 68.2m.  Executive members 12.869m.  All up except for business addon 3.8m -> 3.6m

4q2012:  Total revenue from membership fees was up +17.6% or +$104 million to $694 million ($26m of $104m increase caused by higher rates in US/Canada).  When comparing renewal rates in Canada/US to the period when the fee increase first came into effect (November) there seems to be no effect on renewal rates.  Fees increased by $208 million on the year or +11.1%.  In the 4q executive membership increased by 14,000 per week.  Memberships -- 36.9 million total housesholds ---  Goldstar: 26.7m, PB: 6.4m, addon: 3.8m.   Including spouse cards there are 67.4m members (up from 66.5m in 3q2012).  12.6 million executive members (+2% or 245,000 since 3q2012) with a reported growth of 14,000 new exec members per week !  Exec members represent 1/3rd of member base but 2/3rds of sales.

3q2012:  Total revenue from membership fees was up +9.2% --> $475 (from $435).  $8.0 million of that increase came from higher membership fees in the United States and Canada (contributed $8m of the $40m increase; higher fees took effect November 2011).  There was also a negative impact of $3.0 million stemming from fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

Changes in membership fees were passed on to customers only in the US/Canada region.  Changes were as follows:  Goldstar: $50 --> $55.0;  Executive Member: $100 --> $110  Effective Jan 1, 2012 for renewers, November 2011 for new members.  The fee increase raised revenue by +1m in Q1;  +8m in Q3 and will have an increasingly greater effect in the coming quarters (will have a positive effect on results over the next 23 months).  22 million members impacted by fee increases 11 million of which are executive members (who are now paying $110 a year for their membership).

New Membership Signups : +9% (mostly from Asia, Australia).  Goldstar 26.4 million members (up from 25.9m Feb 2012), Business Primary 6.4m (no change), Business Addon: 3.6m (down from 3.7m).  Paying executive members:  12.3m up from 12.1m quarter to quarter

Total member households : 3Q2012 is 36.4m (up from 36.0m end of 2Q2012).  including spouses: 66.5m (vs 65.7m).

Locations

End of 3Q2013 / May 12, 2013:  5 net new warehouses opened during the quarter (vs 2 in 3q2012).  627 stores total (opening during the quarter) : US 449 (+1), Canada 85, Mexico 33 (+1), UK 24 (+1), Japan 15 (+2), Taiwan 9, Korea 9, Australia 3.  Openings planned for 4q2013 (16 wks ending Sept 1, 2013) - nine.

End of 2Q2013 / February 17, 2012:  4 new warehouses opened during the quarter (vs 4 in 2q2012).  Company plans on opening another 14 by the end of the year (would bring fiscal year 2013 openings to 27).  622 stores (vs 600 a year ago).  US 448 (+1), Canada 85 (+1), Mexico 32, UK 23 (+1), Japan 13, Taiwan 9, Korea 9 (+1), Australia 3. 

End of 1Q2013 / November 2, 2012 :  9 new warehouses opened during the quarter (vs 4 in 1q2012).  618 stores vs 596 a year ago.  US: 447,  Canada: 84 (+2), Mexico: 32, UK: 22,  Japan: 13 (+4), Taiwan: 9 (+1), Korea: 8 (+1), Australia 3.  Newest Canadian locations are in Oshawa (Toronto) and Drummondville (Montreal).

End of 4Q2012 / September 2, 2012 :  16 new warehouses opened in fiscal 2012 (down from 20 in 2011 / 14 in 2010) 10 of which were in the US, 4 in Japan, 1 each in Korea and Taiwan ---- 592 total : US:  439  Canada: 82  Mexico: 32  UK: 22  Japan: 13  Taiwan: 9  Korea: 8  Australia: 3  Total worldwide locations are now at 608 (up from 592 end of Q4 2011).  End of 4Q2011 / August 28 , 2011 :  US: 429  Canada: 82  Mexico: 32  UK: 22  Japan: 9  Taiwan: 8  Korea: 7  Australia: 3  Costco plans to open 14 new warehouses between Sept 2012 - December 2012 (not included in 2012 fiscal results).  Costco plans to open 27-30 new warehouses next year (2013) half of which will be in the USA / 14 of those 30 locations will be opened in 1Q2013.

End of 3Q2012 / May 6, 2012 :  US:  435  Canada: 82   Mexico: 32   UK: 22   Japan: 13   Taiwan: 8   Korea: 7   Australia: 3 Total worldwide locations are now at 602 (up from 600 end of Q2 2012).  End of 3Q2011 / May 8, 2011 :  US: 425  Canada: 80  Mexico: 32  UK: 22  Korea: 7  Taiwan: 6  Japan: 8  Australia: 1    Both of Australia's newest locations were opened in Q4 2011.

New locations:  Japan:  2 new locations in Q2 2012 (Osaka) followed by a third one in the Q3 2012.  By the end of fiscal 2012 Japan was home to a total of 4 new costco warehouses bringing the total locations there up to 14 (ranks 5th among all countries in terms of locations just behind England at 22).  In Q1 2012 Japan opened 2 new locations, each near the major cities of Tokyo and Osaka.  Costco is on track to open 16 new store worldwide in 2012 (10 / 6 abroad / US).  The 16 is down from a prior estimate of 17 made in February 2012.

Canada:  In 1Q2013 Canada will get 3 new Costco Warehouses.  In 4Q2012 Canada, Mexico, Korea had the strongest sales numbers.  In the 3Q2012 Costco relocated a unit in Ontario Canada (closed 1 and consequently opened another).  Canada is home to 82 of Costco's 608 stores (that's 1/5th as many locations as are in the USA --> but Canada only has 1/9th the population).  Between May 8, 2011 and August 28, 2012 only 2 new net locations were opened in Canada.  As of May 2013 newest Canadian stores are in Oshawa and Drummondville.

United States:  In 1Q2013 the USA will get 9 new Costco warehouses (1 other location in Maryland will be delayed due to construction).  During 3Q 2012 Costco opened 2 new US stores, one in Texas and another in Huntington Beach, California.  The last major US opening happened during 1Q 2012 when 4 new stores opened in Texas, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Australia:  Adelaide is set to get a new Costco in early 2014.  By the end of 2013 Melbourne will be home to two locations.

Total new store openings worldwide:  10 new stores so far in 2012 (1q2012-->3q2012) with 6 more on track to open by fiscal year-end.  End of Q3: 602 stores worldwide,  16 net new units in 2012   (10 so far end of Q3, 6 more by end of Q4).  Of the 16 net new stores for 2012, 10 are in the US, 1 is in South Korea,  1 in the Republic of China, 4 in Japan.