Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Shares in Costco rose in after-hours trading, following the company's announcement of better-than-expected profits, combined with its 14th-straight month of same-store sales growth.
Costco's secret sauce is a mix of low prices, well-trained staff, and an ever-changing, but limited assortment of products, which have all kept Americans flocking to Costco outlets when other retailers have lost business to the Internet.
The most important number in Thursday's report was a 43.5% increase in e-commerce sales year-over year.
- Though Costco stock is up more than 18% this year, it has lagged competitors like Amazon and Walmart over fears that the company is clinging too tightly to its profitable retail warehouses—these numbers will assuage some of those concerns.
- During a call with analysts Thursday, CFO Richard Galanti stressed that Costco is experimenting with e-commerce "in our own way," and also, "pretty cheaply," using experiments like buy online and pick-up in store, which has the added benefit of driving traffic to its warehouses.
- It's a delicate balancing act that, so far, investors are cheering.