About Us

Costco Wholesale is a multi-billion dollar global retailer with warehouse club operations in eight countries. We are the recognized leader in our field, dedicated to quality in every area of our business and respected for our outstanding business ethics.

Despite our large size and explosive international expansion, we continue to provide a family atmosphere in which our employees thrive and succeed. We are proud to have been named by Washington CEO Magazine as one of the top three companies to work for in the state of Washington.

What Is Costco?

Costco is a membership warehouse club, dedicated to bringing our members the best possible prices on quality brand-name merchandise. With hundreds of locations worldwide, Costco provides a wide selection of merchandise, plus the convenience of specialty departments and exclusive member services, all designed to make your shopping experience a pleasurable one.

The History of Costco

The company’s first location, opened in 1976 under the Price Club name, was in a converted airplane hangar on Morena Boulevard in San Diego. Originally serving only small businesses, the company found it could achieve far greater buying clout by also serving a selected audience of non-business members. With that change, the growth of the warehouse club industry was off and running.

In 1983, the first Costco warehouse location was opened in Seattle. Costco became the first company ever to grow from zero to $3 billion in sales in less than six years. When Costco and Price Club merged in 1993, the combined company, operating under the name PriceCostco, had 206 locations generating $16 billion in annual sales.

Our operating philosophy has been simple. Keep costs down and pass the savings on to our members. Our large membership base and tremendous buying power, combined with our never-ending quest for efficiency, result in the best possible prices for our members. Since resuming the Costco name in 1997, the company has grown worldwide with total sales in recent fiscal years exceeding $64 billion. For additional information about Costco, download the Costco Story in a PDF format to learn more.

Costco has transformed the retail world. When entrepreneur Sol Price introduced a groundbreaking retail concept in San Diego, California. Price Club was the world’s first membership warehouse club, a place where efficient buying and operating practices gave members access to unmatched savings.

At first, Price Club was limited exclusively to business members, who could purchase a wide range of supplies and wholesale items. Jim Sinegal, the executive vice-president of merchandising, distribution and marketing, was instrumental in fine-tuning the merchandise and marketing strategies, helping to turn Price Club into a success story that changed the face of retailing worldwide.

Seven years later, Jim Sinegal channeled his expertise into co-founding Costco Wholesale with Jeff Brotman, and together they opened the first warehouse in Seattle, Washington in 1983.

Over the next decade, both Price Club and Costco Wholesale continued to innovate and grow, and in 1993, the two mega-retailers merged, creating a gifted leadership team that soon made Costco the world’s most successful warehouse club.

Today, as the company evolves, it stays true to the qualities that helped attract and retain millions of loyal members around the globe:

Commitment to quality. Costco warehouses carry about 4,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) compared to the 30,000 found at most supermarkets. By carefully choosing products based on quality, price, brand, and features, the company can offer the best value to members.

Entrepreneurial spirit. Throughout the decades, the entrepreneurial drive for excellence has continued to define Costco staff at every level. From its management team to the people on the warehouse floor, everyone is united in a common goal to exceed member expectations.

Employee focus. Costco is often noted for being much more employee-focused than other Fortune 500 companies. By offering fair wages and top-notch benefits, the company has created a workplace culture that attracts positive, high-energy, talented employees.

Costco Employee Benefits

 Costco’s success depends on the well-being of employees within all areas of our business. Our operational practices, benefits, and paid time-off policies acknowledge and reward employees for their continued contribution to our culture and success.

We are committed to providing our employees with rewarding challenges and ample opportunities for personal and career growth. Learn more about the Costco Employee Benefits.

Costco Career Opportunities

Costco Career Opportunities – Costco is a membership warehouse club. Our members pay a fee to shop with us because they trust us to provide exceptional member service and the best possible prices on quality brand-name merchandise.

But our commitment to value and member service doesn’t begin and end in our warehouses. Click on our business areas below to learn more about the many different ways our employees take care of all Costco members. For Accounting, e-commerce, and IT opportunities, click on Corporate & Technology.

Learn more about the Costco Career Opportunities and how to apply.

Costco ESS

The process of getting access to something as valuable as an employee web portal should never be something that’s all too hard to figure out. That said, Costco employees should find little to no trouble when attempting to access the Costco ESS Login portal.

If you are a new employee and don’t have an online account you can create one with ease. To create an Online Account, click on the “New Employees: Register here” link under the Ess portal.

• Go to the Costco Employee Website.
• If you are a current employee, click on the Current Employee Login to access your account.
• If you are a Former Employee, click on the Former Employee Login. To access ESS, former employees (alumni) must re-register for MyCostco Account. Former employees have access to ESS for 25 months after the separation date.

Retrieve Your Username | Reset Your Password

Since your Costco ESS account contains confidential financial information, you must keep your login credentials safe. Please do not give it to other people, as it compromises the safety of your account.

If there is any trouble accessing the Costco ESS portal, kindly go to the Costco ESS account retrieval page.

Costco Customer Service

If you need help accessing the Costco Ess login portal or encountering any difficulties, please call the Costco Customer Service Center. They will help you in resolving your issues and answer your questions. Here are the contact details for Costco’s Help Desk: Costco Support Desk.

Costco.com Online Orders
1-800-955-2292
*including orders delivered by Costco Logistics

Phone Hours:
Mon – Fri: 5 am – 8pm PT
Sat-Sun: 5 am – 7 pm PT
Chat Hours:
Mon – Fri: 5 am – 8pm PT
Sat – Sun: 5am – 7pm PT

Membership and Warehouse
1-800-774-2678