Costco's 70,000 to 160,000 square foot warehouses are an astonishing success. In 1983 Costco had a total revenue of $1 million; in the 1995 fiscal year it made $17.906 billion in total revenue. In the Portland metropolitan area alone where there are four Costco warehouses, an estimated 133,000 people visit Costco every week spending about $530 million every year. Globally, Costco now has 52,700 full- and part-time employees and 25 million card holding members.

Costco's goal is simple. They describe themselves as a "Membership warehouse club selling top-quality hardlines, softlines, food and other goods, often in bulk quantities, to businesses and individuals at very low prices." Another term for this type of retail store is "Power-Box" which refers to the enormous discount stores that thrive on the principle of minimizing overhead costs. This could accurately be called the "less-is-more" concept where sales help, nice buildings, nice displays, and all other frills are all eliminated in order to get the lowest possible price.

Costco is still expanding, not only in numbers of retail warehouses, but also into the production itself. PriceCostco Industries, a division of the company, operates manufacturing businesses including candy and nut packaging facilities, optical-lens laboratories, photo processing, and meat processing all with the common goal of minimizing the retail cost.