Costco is a membership-only wholesale retailer with more than 804 warehouses worldwide, allowing it to generate $163.22 billion in 2020. But did you know there are several Costco competitors?
I’m going to tell you all about the top 23 competitors of Costco, so keep reading to learn all about these competitors!
Costco Competitors
Costco’s top competitors include BJ’s Wholesale, Sam’s Club, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Walmart, and Target. Also, stores compete with Costco in specific categories, including Lowe’s, Menards, and Home Depot in the home improvement department. Because they offer quality products at low prices, Aldi, Kroger, and Tesco are also top competitors.
Do you want to know more details about Costco’s competitors, including how they compare to Costco in the number of locations? Read on to learn all about them!
1. Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is the most similar to Costco and is the biggest competitor since it’s also a wholesaler that sells items in bulk.
Furthermore, there are electronics, clothing, shoes, health and wellness products, animal products, groceries, home furnishings, and much more available at Sam’s Club.
Additionally, Sam’s Club has nearly 600 locations in the United States and even has stores in countries like Mexico and China, with revenue of $163 billion in 2020.
2. BJ’s Wholesale
BJ’s Wholesale is a wholesale club similar to Costco, with more than 200 BJ’s Wholesale locations in 17 states!
Additionally, BJ’s Wholesale sells a variety of products in bulk, just like Costco.
That said, you can find grocery items, apparel, toys, games, electronics, and much more at affordable prices at BJ’s Wholesale.
In 2020, BJ’s Wholesale had an annual revenue of $13.191 billion, and it’s one of the leading wholesale clubs in America.
3. The Schwarz Group
The Schwarz Group operates various grocery stores, including Kaufland and Lidl. Therefore, it’s a top competitor to Costco, especially in the international market.
Further, The Schwarz Group operates over 12,900 stores in more than 33 countries.
At The Schwarz Group, it offers a variety of household products to consumers, including groceries and general merchandise.
4. Walmart
Walmart is one of Costco’s biggest competitors because it has cheap products, although the quality isn’t always great, depending on the product.
Furthermore, Walmart offers the same consumer goods as Costco, including electronics, pet supplies, furniture, groceries, clothing, shoes, and home goods.
Finally, Walmart is a great discount supercenter with more than 10,000 locations worldwide and, in 2020, had $559 billion in U.S. revenue.
5. Amazon
Amazon is a go-to online website where you can find anything you could ever want. It competes with Costco for business since both companies sell various types of goods.
On top of that, Amazon offers products from other countries and has a very loyal customer base. Plus, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get extra savings and free shipping!
6. Aldi
Aldi is a competitor to Costco, which has value brands that are much cheaper than name-brand products.
Furthermore, Aldi has more than 10,000 stores worldwide, so there’s probably a location near you regardless of where you live!
Also, Aldi is incredibly popular, with $15 billion in U.S. revenue, and it’s popular in Australia and the United States!
7. Tesco
Tesco originates from the United Kingdom but can be found in more than 11 countries worldwide, with more than 4,600 stores in total.
Additionally, Tesco is incredibly popular, evidenced by its 2020 revenue of 53 billion British pounds, so it’s a direct competitor to Costco.
At Tesco, you’ll find regular merchandise like household goods and clothing. But Tesco also has a wide selection of groceries, so it’s the perfect place to shop for all your needs.
On top of that, Tesco is known for having fantastic customer service and high-quality products.
8. Kroger
Kroger is a direct competitor to Costco, and it has more than 2,800 locations throughout the United States, with revenue exceeding billion in 2020.
Furthermore, Kroger sells electronics, groceries, clothing, shoes, healthcare products, toys and games, and other products just like Costco.
On top of that, there’s a pharmacy in most Kroger locations, and some locations have a medical clinic inside to serve customers’ needs.
9. Carrefour
Carrefour is a direct competitor to Costco based out of France, and it operates more than 12,225 stores in more than 30 countries!
Furthermore, Carrefour has grocery stores, hypermarkets, convenience stores, and the leading grocery store in Europe.
In 2020, Carrefour generated 70.7 billion euros because it offers quality food products at low prices to meet the needs of consumers from all backgrounds and economic statuses.
10. Target
Target is known as a general merchandise retailer. Therefore, it competes with Costco in many categories, including home decor, electronics, clothing, toys, home appliances, and food.
Also, what’s great about Target is that there are high-quality products available, but for less than what you’d expect to pay at other similar retail stores.
Furthermore, there are more than 1,800 locations in the United States, and made $93 billion in revenue for 2020.
11. Auchan Retail
Auchan Retail was founded in France and competes with Costco because it offers quality and local produce, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
Additionally, Auchan Retail offers a ton of other high-quality grocery items, and it operates in 13 countries with a 2020 revenue of 1.633 billion euros.
12. Home Depot
Home Depot is the largest home improvement store in the United States, and it competes with Costco in the home improvement category.
That said, products you’ll find in Home Depot include:
- Home Decor
- Outdoor furniture
- Lawn care and garden equipment
- Lumber
- Grills
- Household goods
Additionally, with more than 1,987 stores and net sales of $132.1 billion, Home Depot remains a top choice for people seeking home improvement goods and services.
13. Lowe’s
Lowe’s is right behind Home Depot in the home improvement category and competes with Costco on products relevant to home improvement.
With that, you can find high-quality products at Lowe’s, including:
- Appliances
- Outdoor furniture
- Home Decor
- Paint
- Lumber
- Drywall
- Tools
- And much more!
In 2020, Lowe’s revenue was $72.148 billion from more than 2,200 stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
14. Best Buy
Best Buy competes with Costco regarding electronics and home appliances, and it’s one of the leading electronics stores in America.
On top of that, Best Buy has a bigger electronics selection than Costco and carries some of the newest products.
Also, there are 1,159 Best Buy stores in operation throughout the United States and Canada, earning $47 billion in revenue for 2020.
15. Menard’s
Menard’s is a home improvement retailer with over 300 locations nationwide, competing with Costco in the home improvement and home appliances categories.
On top of that, it also has groceries, books, clothing, craft supplies, kitchen products, outdoor decor, and a lot more!
However, what sets Menards apart is that it’s known for having low prices, which is why one of the taglines is “Save big money at Menards.”
Additionally, Menards made $12.8 billion in revenue in 2020, which is pretty good considering the competition of other home improvement stores.
16. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is a discount chain that offers clothing, toys, housewares, and food items at closeout prices. So, it’s a significant competitor to Costco.
Furthermore, the prices at Ollie’s are much better than at Costco since it’s a closeout discount retailer.
Additionally, there are about 430 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet locations throughout the United States, and in 2020, revenue was $1.408 billion.
17. Big Lots
Big Lots is a name you might have heard of before since it’s a well-known value retail store with items including food, furniture, home decor, home furniture, toys, and clothing items.
However, the items at Big Lots aren’t of exceptional quality, but if you’re on a budget, it’s the best place to shop.
So, whether you need a new mattress, lamp, new makeup, or new toothbrushes, you’ll find almost everything you need at Big Lots at incredibly low prices!
On top of that, Big Lots had revenue in 2020 of $5.32 billion, and it has more than 1,400 locations throughout the United States.
18. Dollar General
Dollar General is a competitor to Costco if you’re looking for household goods, clothing, shoes, and other items at low prices.
On top of that, Dollar General sells some grocery items and canned goods with a value brand so that you can save even more money.
Also, there are roughly 500 stores located throughout the United States, and Dollar General’s revenue in 2020 was $27.754 billion!
19. Five Below
Five Below competes with Costco for the value-conscious shopper. At Five Below, almost everything is $5 and below, making it one of the best discount shopping companies around.
On top of that, you’ll find a decent selection of products at Five Below, such as rugs, small appliances, toys, games, electronics, home decor, and much more!
Also, a section of the store features products from $6 to $10. Moreover, Five Below has over 1,020 stores across the United States, with a 2020 revenue of $1.96 billion.
20. Walgreens
Walgreens is a competitor to Costco as it carries quality products at reasonable prices, including some grocery items, canned goods, pet products, home decor, and electronics.
In 2020, Walgreens had revenue of $121.982 billion across more than 13,000 stores throughout 11 different countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Thailand.
21. CVS
Although the selection is limited for each product, CVS competes with Costco and offers multiple products to consumers.
At CVS, you can find household goods, clothing, electronics, light bulbs and batteries, pet products, healthcare products, and much more.
On top of that, CVS has more than 9,000 locations in 49 states and had revenue in 2020 of $268.7 billion!
22. Oh Polly (United Kingdom)
Oh Polly is an online retailer that focuses on fashion and fashion accessories, so it competes with Costco for that market, making $47.56 million in sales.
Additionally, Oh Polly is based in the United Kingdom with offices worldwide to help customers find apparel that fits them.
Further, Oh Polly offers high-quality dresses, swimwear, loungewear, intimates, leggings, and all types of women’s clothing.
On top of that, you’ll find that Oh Polly even has petite clothing, which is great if you’re shorter.
23. Argos
Argos is a general merchandise retail competitor to Costco in the United Kingdom and Ireland that operates digital stores inside of Sainsbury’s locations.
Additionally, Argos made .26 billion in 2020 and focuses e-commerce on furniture, electronics, DIY, hobbies and crafts, and all kinds of categories.
To learn more about Costco, you can also see our posts on Costco’s target market, Costco facts & statistics, and whether Costco is an ethical company.
Conclusion
Costco isn’t the only wholesale retailer out there, and it has competition from Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s Wholesale, just to name a few.
Additionally, the main competitors to Costco include Target, Walmart, Amazon, Big Lots, Kroger, Aldi, Dollar General, and Tesco, which have locations all over the world.
Costco might be one of the biggest names in the wholesale market, but stiff competition exists, and other companies eat into revenue by offering higher-quality products at better prices.
