With a $373.69 billion market cap, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is a leading membership-based warehouse club that offers a wide range of essential goods, including groceries and several household items. During economic downturns, consumers may shift their purchasing behavior toward discount retailers, making Costco’s business model inherently defensive.
The retailer currently operates 882 warehouses, including 609 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 108 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 33 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 15 in Australia, and more. Also, Costco operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.
