Costco’s June sales: digital dark horse quietly roaring

Costco’s hybrid model keeps paying off—online growth without sacrificing bulk DNA

Costco’s June numbers show ecommerce is driving the bus

For the five weeks ending July 6, Costco’s total comparable sales rose 5.8% year-over-year. That’s up from +4.3% in May and +4.4% in April. But the real story is digital: ecommerce sales surged 11.5%, marking the third straight month of double-digit growth.

Even after adjusting for gas and foreign exchange noise, digital comps climbed 11.2%. Net sales for June hit $26.44B—up 8% from last year.

• U.S. comparable sales: +4.7%
• Canada: +6.7%
• Other International: +10.9%
• Adjusted total comps: +6.2%

What’s actually driving the growth

Fresh food (led by meat and produce) and non-foods like jewelry, appliances, and gift cards led the gains. According to Costco’s pre-recorded call, those categories saw mid-to-high-single-digit increases. Meanwhile, gas and ancillary services dipped slightly—except pharmacy, optical, and hearing aid sales, which held up.

But ecommerce is where the juice is. Costco’s digital strategy is compounding:

• Instacart-powered delivery launched mid-June, bringing faster fulfillment via No-Rush and 30-minute Priority options.
• Buy Now, Pay Later via Affirm went live in May, now live on Costco.com for big-ticket flexibility.
• Targeted digital promos, smart (not creepy) product recs, and Costco Logistics are all pushing online momentum.

Digital is still just 8% of sales—and that’s the opportunity

Here’s the kicker: ecommerce still makes up only ~8% of total sales. That’s why this matters. Costco’s online growth isn’t hype—it’s margin accretive and operationally sound.

In fiscal Q3 2025, ecommerce rose 14.8% YoY while total sales were up 8%. It’s the sixth straight quarter of double-digit digital gains.

What’s working:

• 🛒 Affirm BNPL integration boosts AOV and attracts credit-wary shoppers.
• 🎯 Member-based product recommendations drive repeat digital engagement.
• 📦 Big-ticket logistics saw a 31% lift via Costco Logistics.
• 🛍️ Digital sales are surging in apparel, toys, health & beauty, home goods—higher margin, better UX.

Costco isn’t chasing Amazon—and that’s why it’s winning

This isn’t about speed wars or AI flash. Costco’s ecommerce approach is tied to its DNA:

• 79.6M paid members
• $1.24B in quarterly membership income
• 92.7% renewal rates in U.S. and Canada
• 11.25% gross margin, ticking up YoY

It’s not about leading the tech arms race—it’s about lowering churn, growing average order value, and deepening loyalty without losing operational grip.

Operator playbook: what to steal from Costco

• Recurring revenue + ecomm = pricing power. Costco’s subscription model funds long-term ecommerce leverage.
• Don’t over-engineer personalization. Use actual behavior—not hallucinated AI profiles.
• Invest in high-margin logistics. Delivering big items pays off more than chasing same-day speeds.
• You don’t need to win ecommerce—just own your customer digitally.

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Bottom line: Costco’s ecommerce engine isn’t loud—but it’s lethal. Warehouse scale + membership stickiness + smart digital = a retail fortress that’s only getting stronger.