Case for Critical Analysis
Costco: A Different Path77
In 2010, Costco’s reputation for rock-bottom pricing andrazor-thin profit margins helped the company maintain its positionas the nation’s fourth-largest retailer and the number onemembership warehouse retailer, with 572 stores (425 in the UnitedStates), 142,000 employees, and 55 million members. Sales reached$76 billion, up 9.1 percent, reflecting, in part, a uniquecorporate culture that doesn’t just pay lip service to the value ofits employees, but maintains a reputation for honoring thatvalue.
CEO James Sinegal believes the secret to Costco’s success liesin the many ways the company overturns conventional wisdom. DespiteWall Street criticism, the company is devoted to
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