SWOT, Gap Analysis, and Needs Assessment for Costco
Melissa Pommerening
DeVry University Company Information Costco is best known for being a huge membership warehouse which sells bulk items to the masses. In 1983, the first Costco warehouse opened its doors in Seattle, and since then the business has grown to 686 stores in the United States and nine international locations. Merging with Price Club in 1993, the flagship warehouse company which opened in 1976 (Costco.com, 2014), ultimately expanded Costco’s hold in the warehouse business. Their stock under ticker COST is steadily remaining popular as well, despite recent dips in the retail market, and closed at $166.41 on July 15, 2016. During the past year, trending prices have remained well above a $100 selling price, with the highest being $169.73 and the lowest point hitting $117.03 in August, 2015 (MarketWatch, 2016). With the introduction of other warehouse shopping clubs and the popularity of buying in bulk as families grow bigger, Costco has had to find a way to stand out. Consistent needs assessments and international expansions have allowed this warehouse chain to continue growth and maintain overall good-standing within the communities.
SWOT …show more content…
This Costco SWOT was created based on website information and the most recent 10-K Annual report for the 2015 fiscal year (Last10k.com,
Melissa Pommerening
DeVry University Company Information Costco is best known for being a huge membership warehouse which sells bulk items to the masses. In 1983, the first Costco warehouse opened its doors in Seattle, and since then the business has grown to 686 stores in the United States and nine international locations. Merging with Price Club in 1993, the flagship warehouse company which opened in 1976 (Costco.com, 2014), ultimately expanded Costco’s hold in the warehouse business. Their stock under ticker COST is steadily remaining popular as well, despite recent dips in the retail market, and closed at $166.41 on July 15, 2016. During the past year, trending prices have remained well above a $100 selling price, with the highest being $169.73 and the lowest point hitting $117.03 in August, 2015 (MarketWatch, 2016). With the introduction of other warehouse shopping clubs and the popularity of buying in bulk as families grow bigger, Costco has had to find a way to stand out. Consistent needs assessments and international expansions have allowed this warehouse chain to continue growth and maintain overall good-standing within the communities.
SWOT …show more content…
This Costco SWOT was created based on website information and the most recent 10-K Annual report for the 2015 fiscal year (Last10k.com,