Costco December Comp Sales Improve 9%

Costco Wholesale Corporation saw December sales reach $7.24 billion for the month of December, an increase of 14% from $6.37 billion in the same month last year. Comparable store sales increased 9% in the month.

For the first eighteen weeks of its reporting period ended December 31, 2006, the company reported net sales of $22.23 billion, an increase of 10% from $20.22 billion during the similar eighteen-week period of the prior year.

Comparable sales for the five-week and eighteen-week periods ended December 31, 2006, were as follows:

 
                            5 Weeks   18 Weeks
                           ---------  ---------
     US                        9%         5%
     International            10%        11%

     Total Company             9%         6%
                           =========  =========

This year's five-week period included 34 days of sales compared to 33 days last year, reflecting the timing of the New Year's holiday. This shift impacted this year's total company comparable sales positively by approximately three percent.