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Retail Detail

Costco is the nation's third-largest retailer in market share, behind Walmart and Amazon according to the National Retail Federation. The company's net sales topped a whopping $140 billion in 2021, up 15.8% from the year before. But those aren't the only impressive numbers associated with everybody's favorite warehouse club. From rotisserie chickens to giant stuffed bears, there are plenty of eye-popping facts and figures about Costco.


Related: 20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Costco

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288,000: Full- and Part-Time Employees

By all accounts, Costco employees — including more than 156,000 full-time U.S. workers — are a happy bunch: Turnover rate is only 6% to 7% for employees of over a year, according to Barron's; it's more like 60% for retail overall, according to the National Retail Foundation.


Related: These Stores Are Closing for Thanksgiving This Year

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#8282 Costco hot dog with mustard, onions, and relish by Nemo's great uncle (CC BY-NC-SA)
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Costco

31: Percentage of Kirkland Products

A few years ago it was known that one-fifth of the warehouse club's stores are turned over to its private Kirkland Signature label, but the products account for 31% of total sales as of 2021. One of the top sellers is toilet paper: Costco sells more than 1 billion rolls of it annually.


Related: 24 Costco Brand Products That Shoppers Love

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$25 Million: How Much Costco Owes Tiffany & Co.

Speaking of rings, this is how much a U.S. district court judge ruled Costco owed Tiffany & Co. for describing some of its rings using the Tiffany name. Costco has argued it was using the term generically, but saw the initial ruling rise from a $19.4 million pain to $25 million in 2019.


Related: 27 of the Biggest Lawsuit Settlements Against Companies

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75: Percent of 'Trigger' Purchases

Costco classifies certain products as "triggers" — that is, items members buy repeatedly and use every day, including paper towels and light bulbs. They are positioned strategically around the store in hopes customers will make impulse buys on the way to finding them.


Related: 20 Costco Mistakes That Could Cost You

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50: Percent Ecommerce Sales Jumped During the Pandemic

While the company says its core business model depends on getting shoppers inside its bricks-and-mortar warehouses, it does sell online — and a predictable surge accelerated those online sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Online sales grew 50% in the fiscal year in which COVID forced the world inside, compared with 8% the year before, Digital Commerce 360 reports.


Related: The Big Differences Between Costco and Costco.com