Company: COST
Filing Date: 2025-10-08
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000909832-25-000101
Chunk: 17

Company: COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW
Filing Date: 2025-10-08
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 17
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 benefits. In March 2025, we increased the starting wage by $0.50 an hour to at least $20.00 for all entry-level positions in the U.S. and Canada. We also increased the top of wage scales by $1.00 per hour, bringing our average hourly rate at the end of 2025 for hourly employees in the U.S. to approximately $32.00 per hour. We continue to offer 

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expansive benefits in the U.S. that provide physical, emotional, mental, and financial well-being support for employees and their dependents at low cost to our employees.

For more detailed information regarding our programs and initiatives, see “Employees” within our Sustainability Commitment (located on our website). The Sustainability Commitment and other information on our website are not incorporated by reference into and do not form any part of this Annual Report.

Competition

Our industry is highly competitive, based on factors such as price, merchandise quality and selection, location, convenience, distribution strategy, and customer service. We compete on a worldwide basis with global, national, and regional wholesalers and retailers, including supermarkets, supercenters, online retailers, gasoline stations, hard discounters, department and specialty stores, and operators selling a single category or narrow range of merchandise. Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon are among our significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S. We also compete with other warehouse clubs, including Walmart’s Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club in the U.S. Many of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. and certain of our Other International locations have multiple competing clubs.

Intellectual Property

We believe that, to varying degrees, our trademarks, trade names, copyrights, proprietary processes, trade secrets, trade dress, domain names and similar intellectual property add significant value to our business and are important to our success. We have invested significantly in the development and protection of our well-recognized brands, including the Costco Wholesale trademarks and our private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. We believe that Kirkland Signature products are high quality, offered at prices that are generally lower than national brands, and help lower costs, differentiate our merchandise offerings, and generally earn higher margins. We expect to continue to increase the sales penetration of our private-label items.

We rely on trademark and copyright laws, trade-secret protection, and confidentiality, license and other agreements with our suppliers, employees and others to protect our intellectual property. The availability and duration of trademark registrations vary by country; however, trademarks are generally valid and may