3. Our Presentation at a Glance
• About Costco Wholesale, Mission & Vision
• Costco’s Business Model, Driving Forces,
KSFs
• Costco’s Strategies & Objectives
• Industry Analysis-SWOT, Porter’s 5 Forces,
Life Cycle
• Competitive Analysis- Strategic Group Map
• Financial Analysis
• Recommendations
4. Presented By: Group -A
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•
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Sunanda Sarker
Md. Iftekhar Alam
Nurul Afsar
Md. Foysal Ahmed
Md. Hasnat Khan Rezvi -
161201
161202
161203
161204
161205
5. Purpose of this Case Study
To examine Costco’s business structure
and strategy and how those relate to
industry success
6. Case Summary
• End of 2008
– $71 Billion in Sales
– 550 stores world-wide
• 54 million members
- Avg yearly income $70,000
• Quality merchandise
• Low price
• Rapid inventory turnover
7. About Costco Wholesale
• Eighth Largest membership
retailer in the world and
Fourth largest retailer in the
U.S
• CEO: James Sinegal
• Headquarters: Issaquah, WA
• Inception: Seattle, WA 1983
• Founders: James Sinegal &
Jefferey Brotman
8. Vision & Mission of Costco
Wholesale
Mission:
Continually provide our members
with quality goods and services at
the lowest possible prices.
Vision:
• “Our business is to give the customer the
best value we can.” – Jim Sinegal,CEO & Founder of
Costco
• “We're going to be a company that’s on a
first-name basis with everyone.”
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. Costco’s Business ModelAppealing or Not
Low prices
Volume purchasing
Limited selection of quality merchandise
Efficient distribution
+Wide range of merchandise categories
Rapid inventory turnover
Reduced handling of merchandise
+No-frills, self-service warehouse
Operating efficiencies
Rapid inventory turnover
+Operating efficiencies
Profit at a very low gross margin
16. Driving Forces
• Internet
• Technology
– green technology is a concern
• Market saturation
• Legislation- proposed tax on
big-box stores
• Rising costs
• Recession
17. Key Success Factors
• Internet sales
• Vast network of retail locations
– cross-docking
• No-frills warehouse
• Ongoing effort to cut costs
• Only stock bargains
• Treasure-hunt merchandise
• No-hassle return policy
• Word of mouth advertising
18. Corporate Strategy
• Cost strategy
– Penetration Pricing
– Below the Line Promotion
– No frills
• “Diversion” Buying Strategy
– “Treasure hunt" shopping experience
19. Chief Elements of Costco's
Strategy
• Low prices
• Limited product lines and selection
• Treasure hunt shopping environment
21. Management Objectives
• Always promote from within
• Training happens constantly
• Grow our own talent
• Model what you want from
your employees
22. Business Objectives
• Don’t try to be too
much to too many
• Know on what level
you compete
• Know your customers
– why they do
business with you
• Stay focused on your
core business
23. Growth Objectives
• Run the business for
long-term sustainability
• Open new stores
– 50-60 new locations
per year
• Keep Internet sales
growing
28. SWOT Analysis
S
O
Strengths
Low Prices
Strong Brand
Operating Efficiency
Exceptional
Workforce
Strong membership
Opportunities
Appeal to
conscientious shopper
Expand into foreign
stable markets
Mergers &
Acquisitions
Massive supplier pool
W
T
Weaknesses
Burden of high wages
paid to workers
CEO’s retirement
Low price margins
E-commerce activities
Small Marketing budget
compared to discount
retailers
Threats and Super
Markets
Aggressive price
competition by rivals
Political complications
in foreign markets
Cannibalization due to
domestic market
saturation
29. Porter’s Five Forces Model for Costco
Substitutes
Strong threat
•Good substitutes everywhere
•Price not significantly higher
•Comparable product features
•More variety of features
•Low switching cost
Suppliers
Weak bargaining power
•Many suppliers
•Low switching cost
•Many substitutes exist
•Large quantities are
needed
Competing Sellers
Fierce competition
•Costco is on top
•Quality is slightly better
•Buyer demand is growing
•Buyer’s switching cost is
low
Potential New Entrants
Low threat
•Small pool of entry
candidates
•High barriers to entry
•Expanding market
•Attractive profits
Buyers
Weak bargaining power
•Some switching costs
•Large membership
base
•Costco has the best
value
30. Life Cycle of Costco – Maturity
Stage
• Costco is in the
mature stage
• Though
profitable, slower
growth in sales
• Strong brand
awareness
• Shares market with
established
competitors
31. Competitive Analysis
• Costco's main competitors are Sam's Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club,
Other retailers. They share a similar business model, selling high
volumes of merchandise at low prices in a membership-only
warehouse club. Each company sells a similar array of general
merchandise, including food, apparel, and gasoline.
• Sam's Club operates 591 warehouse clubs nationwide and earned
$44.4 billion in revenue in 2007.
• BJ's operates 177 warehouse clubs across 16 states in the eastern
U.S. In 2007, the company earned $9.0 billion in revenue.
FY 2008 Costco vs. Competitors
Company
Costco
Sam's Club
BJ's Wholesale Club
Comparable
Revenue
Net Income
Operating
Store Sales
(Billions)
(Billions)
Margin
(Decline)
Locations
$70.9
$1.3
2.7%
6.0%
512
$46.8
N/A
3.4%
4.8%
602
$10.0
$2.3
2.3%
9.4%
180
32. Competitive Analysis
• Greater benefits for Costco employees
– Wages: $17/hr on average
– Health Insurance : 90% premium coverage
• Lower price margins
33. Costco’s Strategic Group Map
P Pricesmart Inc.
Operating Margin
Higher
Sam’s
Club
BJ’s
Costco
Lower
Few
Many
Number of Locations
Note: Circles are drawn roughly proportional to the sizes of the club chains based on revenue
34. Financial Analysis
• Costco earned $71
Billion in revenue in
2008 – 12.5%
increase from 2007
• In 2008, Costco’s
operating margin
reached 2.77%
• Costco’s net income
in 2008 was $1.28
billion dollars – an
18.5% increase from
2007
35. Financial Analysis
FY 2008 Costco vs. Competitors
Company
Comparabl
Net
e
Revenue Income Operating Store Sales Location
(Billions) (Billions) Margin (Decline)
s
Costco
$70.9
$1.3
2.7%
6.0%
512
Sam's Club
$46.8
N/A
3.4%
4.8%
602
BJ's Wholesale
Club
$10.0
$2.3
2.3%
9.4%
180
37. Recommendation & Conclusion
• Accept food stamps
• Acquire BJ’s Wholesale Club
• Keep expanding overseas
• Be more ethical
• Continue to add services
• Industry Leader strategy
– Better promotions
• Improve e-commerce
• A little good PR better than no PR
Costco CEO Jim Sinegal invented the wholesale club concept in 1983, and a new industry was born. Wholesale clubs were a revolution in retail. They quickly spread throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico and are quickly expanding into other countries. By the end of 2008, there were 550 stores in 40 states and 7 countries, with 54 million members. By offering quality merchandise at a low price, they attract mostly affluent shoppers.
Costco CEO Jim Sinegal invented the wholesale club concept in 1983, and a new industry was born. Wholesale clubs were a revolution in retail. They quickly spread throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico and are quickly expanding into other countries. By the end of 2008, there were 550 stores in 40 states and 7 countries, with 54 million members. By offering quality merchandise at a low price, they attract mostly affluent shoppers.
From the beginning Jim wanted Costco to be on a first-name basis with everyone. Costco is about giving customers the best value possible.
Business Model: Profit at very low margins is the name of the game. Low prices + Limited selection (around 4000 items) + Wide range of merchandise categories (tires to baby wipes) creates the rapid inventory turnover. Volume purchasing + efficient distribution + reduced handling of merchandise + no-frills warehouses = Operating efficiencies. Low Cost/Low PriceLimited selection of top quality merchandiseWide range merchandise categories“Treasure Hunt” shopping environmentNo frills, self-service warehouseRapid inventory turnoverVolume purchasingOperating efficiencies
Driving Forces: e-commerce is still relatively new for Costco and only accounts for 3% of sales. While the domestic market is increasingly saturated, the international arena is wide open. Rising costs are a big concern for an industry that is always striving to cut costs.: Costco faces a tax proposal in Montana. The recession is affecting everyone’s lifestyle. Consumers are concerned about the environment and they want to shop at stores that are environmentally friendly.
Key Success Factors: Internet sales are increasing. Vast network of retail locations with efficient distribution system, No Frills warehouse, Cost cutting efforts, only stock bargains, Treasure hunt merchandise, No-hassle return policy, word of mouth advertizing.
Employment Objectives: First, hire great people. Jim said, “If you do right by the people working for you, they will build you a successful business.”
Management objectives: Always promote from within.Training happens at all times, not just in the classroom. Model the behavior you want from employees.
Business Objectives: Don’t try to be too much to too many, you’ll dilute your business model and lose focus. Know on what level you compete – For Costco they compete on quality and price. They want the highest quality merchandise for the best value. Probably why they attract the more affluent shoppers.
Growth Objectives: Run the business for long term sustainability. Sinegalwants Costco to be here long after he’s gone. Open 50-60 new locations per year. Keep Internet sales growing.
Marketing Objectives: Jim believes that word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool there is. It sounds better when somebody else talks about you than when you talk about yourself. Costco still has no PR department and probably never will.
Ethics Objectives: Obey the law, Treat customers right, Treat employees right, Treat suppliers right
At the end of 2008, there were 550 Costco’s in all. Costco is in 7 countries. One of their next goals is to expand into Europe. There are plans for 20 more Costco’s in Mexico. Costco’s expansion outside the United Stated is financially successful. Because in the case, over years, it shows a steady growth over years in sales and operating income of Costco’s warehouses which are outside United States.
Strengths: low price, strong brand name, excellent merchandise, exceptional employees, huge membership base, economies of scale, efficient distribution and operation. Weaknesses: CEO will soon be gone, burden of high wages and benefits, plus low margins.Opportunities: Costco has become a clearance for other retailers who can’t sell their goods (like jewelry), so more bargains for Costco buyers. More people joined to save money. There are tremendous opportunities in expanding foreign markets, such as China and India. Threats: Fierce competition, price competition from other retailers, cannibalization due to domestic market saturation, possible political complications in foreign markets.
“I want to retire here. I love it here.”- an employee of Costco said like that.
The size of circle is based on revenue. Costco has the highest revenue. A lower operating margin equals a lower markup on merchandise. A lower operating margin is consistent with charging lower prices and running a leaner (no-frills) operation. Costco has the lowest operating margin and Sam’s club has the most locations.
Inventory turnover is a biggy in the wholesale club industry. Costco has the best. Costco has a good ROI and growth rate. Costco’s goal is very low margins. They got beat by BJ’s. Perhaps because of lower pay and benefits.