Costco April Same-Store Sales Up 6.0%

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $3.14 billion for the four weeks ended May 4, 2003, an increase of 10 percent from $2.84 billion in the same four-week period of the prior fiscal year.

For the first 35 weeks of its 2003 fiscal year ended May 4, 2003, the Company reported net sales of $27.47 billion, an increase of 9 percent from $25.20 billion during the comparable period of the prior fiscal year.

Comparable sales for the 4-week and 35-week periods ended May 4, 2003 were as follows:

                                           4 Weeks         35 Weeks
                                        --------------  --------------
US                                             5%              4%
International                                 13%              7%

Total Company                                  6%              5%
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