蘑菇AV

The news: Costco plans to open a standalone gas station next spring in Mission Viejo, a city in Orange County, California. The 40-pump station, which will be the membership club鈥檚 largest to date, will be about two miles from two existing Costco warehouses鈥攐ne of which already has a gas station. Our take: Costco is investing in ways to reinforce the value of membership, and fuel is central to that equation. If this off-site station succeeds, it could set the stage for a broader rollout of standalone locations鈥攅specially in high-traffic markets. The move could also prompt rivals like Sam鈥檚 Club to follow suit as competition in the warehouse club space heats up.

The news: Lululemon is suing Costco for selling dupes. In a lawsuit filed June 25, the athleisure brand accuses the wholesale giant of infringing on its design patents by selling knockoff sweatshirts, jackets, and other activewear. Lululemon seeks an immediate halt to sales of the disputed products and unspecified monetary damages. Our take: For nearly as long as there have been name brands, there have been knockoffs. But the rise of dupe culture on TikTok鈥攃ombined with increasingly cost-conscious consumers looking鈥攊s pushing more shoppers toward cheaper alternatives and more brands to the brink. It's become a growing headache for companies like Est茅e Lauder, which have struggled as buyers opt for low-priced lookalikes. Lululemon鈥檚 lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the brand鈥檚 efforts to protect its designs. If it succeeds, it could set a precedent鈥攁nd signal that the era of unchecked dupes may be nearing a turning point.

Costco tries to shift tariff burden onto China suppliers: But that strategy comes with increasing risks as Beijing takes a more active role.

Consumers鈥� value focus is an expansion opportunity for Costco, BJ鈥檚: The two plan to open dozens of stores to capitalize on demand for warehouse retailers.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss what makes Sam鈥檚 Club stand out against Costco and BJ鈥檚, why its retail media offering is unique, and where it might be falling short. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano and Senior Analyst Zak Stambor.

Retail workers don鈥檛 have the same leverage they did a few years ago: But recent moves by Costco and Starbucks suggest that unions can exert some pull.

Sam鈥檚 Club's efforts to streamline its shopping experience pay off: It soared past Costco to place first in this year's customer satisfaction rankings for general merchandise retailers.

Costco defends DEI policies amid right-wing backlash: The retailer noted the importance of diversity to its business while questioning activist investors鈥� motivations.

The FTC鈥檚 case against Southern Glazer鈥檚 could have profound implications for large retailers like Walmart and Costco: A successful suit could limit their ability to negotiate lower prices with suppliers, narrowing their advantage over smaller retailers.

46.6% of US internet users are also Amazon Prime members, nearly two times as many as Costco (25.1%), the No. 2 biggest retail membership , according to data from Comscore.

Costco benefits from consistency in values. While Target struggles, Costco has seen increased foot traffic by maintaining its DEI position and rebuffing pressure to follow other retailers in rolling back commitments.

By contrast, companies like Levi Strauss and Costco that have stuck to their DEI commitments are thriving鈥攁 sign that consumers are rewarding brands that reflect their values.

Editor鈥檚 note: This story has been updated to clarify the relationship between Costco and Inmar.

On the other hand, Costco, which has upheld its DEI policies, has only had positive growth since the start of the year. Monthly foot traffic rose 7.5% in March, while Target visits dropped 6.5% month-over-month and Walmart visits dropped 3.8% month-over-month, per Placer.ai. Costco reported net sales of $25.51 billion for the five weeks ending April 6, 2025, an increase of 8.6% YoY.

US visitors spent an average dwell time of 37.3 minutes in H1 2024, outpacing both Walmart (31.8 minutes) and Target (28.7 minutes), per data from Placer.ai. Costco was the only one to increase dwell time between H1 2021 and H1 2024.

Companies like Costco have acted similarly, refuting a shareholder proposal challenging DEI practices. Yet others are giving into mounting pressure. Retailers like Walmart, Lowe鈥檚, and Target have shifted away from DEI since Trump鈥檚 election, and as Pride Month approaches, consumers will likely see this trend continue.

Bulk buying suits warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam鈥檚 Club, where value and volume are baked into the model. But it鈥檚 unclear whether Target can replicate that success online鈥攁nd it hasn鈥檛 extended the test to stores, where bulky items could strain limited shelf space.

Albertsons is also working with vendors to lower prices, but its smaller size relative to companies like Walmart and Costco gives it less room to negotiate concessions鈥攚hich was one of the considerations that pushed it to seek a merger with Kroger. One lever it can pull to help margins is to increase its penetration of private labels, which accounted for 25.4% of Q4 sales.

Partnering up: Affirm sealed a deal with Costco to become the wholesaler鈥檚 exclusive BNPL provider. This win combats Affirm鈥檚 recent loss of Walmart to Klarna. Affirm also benefited from recent tie-ups with Adyen, which helped the company burrow into the UK market.

The lack of concern could be because most of these players鈥攊ncluding Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Albertsons鈥攁lso operate pharmacies. So any spending decline for groceries could be offset by more customers picking up GLP-1 prescriptions. However, food and CPG companies are creating and changing products to meet the needs of GLP-1 patients.

Costco and BJ鈥檚 Wholesale Club are expanding as well. Off-price retailers such as TJMaxx and Nordstrom Rack are also poised to win over value-driven shoppers. Their flexible buying models and ability to source merchandise locally help insulate them from rising import costs鈥攚hile appealing to consumers across income levels and regions.