Costco Companies, Inc.

Marketing 658
Frank Fisher
 Background Information

• As of July 1998, Costco operated 278 members-only warehouse clubs in 24

states, the U.K., Mexico, Canada, and Asia.

• In 1997 Costco had a net income of $312 million on sales of $21.5 billion.
– 16 million member households.
– Earned $400 million in annual fees.

• For Costco, bigger was not only better but imperative. The only way to
continue to reduce costs was to move more people and products through its
building. Possible expansion opportunities included:
– Domestic
– International
– Product Diversification
– Different Formats
 Background Information
• After P&G approached Costco with a proposal to purchase their customer
membership data Costco decided to leverage their list of loyal members by
offering a natural market for anything that required the purchaser to trust the
supplier.

• In response to member requests, Costco developed a portfolio of services by

creating a new “Executive” membership program, for a $100 annual fee:
 Background Information

“Was the company straying too far from its core

competency?

“As a company, we’ve never

really had to market before”
– Pat Turpin (VP of Executive Member
Services)
 Critical Issue

How does Costco market its new Executive

Membership Services program?
 Critical Issue

Does Costco expand outside of its core

competency to attract new customers?
Critical Issue
 Case Contradictions

 Costco’s core operating philosophy was based upon “taking costs out of
the supply chain,” as a result, Costco preferred to do operations by itself.
“We don’t make good partners.” –Jim Sinegal (CEO)
• Salmon & Tyson Foods: Costco worked with the suppliers to improve
supply chain logistics, all the while bringing price down by buying in
bulk.
• Entering the Service industry (Auto, Home, Mortgage…)

 Qualifying for a Costco membership was not difficult, requiring only

evidence of a steady job and payment of $35 for a business, $40 for a
member of the public  minimal barrier
• Costco believed that 75% of its members would qualify for the
services (insurance, auto, home), since Costco’s 16 million members
were already pre-screened for income and other qualifying variables.
 Case Contradictions

 Costco’s 16 million household members might not experience the same

consistent savings that other members would (accident histories,
telephone usage patterns, credit card acceptance rates).
• Contradicts 1st core operating philosophy to be “efficient and
simplistic”

“We aren’t MBAs so we don’t do

complicated things.”
 Missing Case Facts

Operating Expenses Breakdown

1

Coupon Book Statistics, etc…

2

Survey Feedback & Questions

3

Membership Breakdown & Demographic info.

4
 Personal Insight
Proven Operating Philosophy Value-Added Services

 Rapid Inventory Turnover  “Out-of-the-box”

 High Sales Volume  No Savings Consistency
 Reduced Operating Costs  Increase Customer Acquisition?
 Kotler Text Teachings
• Do the Services distort Costco’s value proposition?

• Retention Dynamics:
– Will the new Executive Membership reduce the rate of customer defection?
– Or Increase the longevity of the customer relationships?
– Is this focusing a disproportionate effort on high-profit customers?

• Do the Services align with Costco’s core competency?

• Will this damage Costco’s brand equity?

Identity Meaning Response Relationships

 #1 Launch Executive Membership
Program

1 Increased “Value” of Costco membership experience.

PROS

2 Increased membership fee.

3 Revenue diversification.

1 Services are misaligned with core competency.

CONS

2 Memory of “Bad Service” could potentially decrease customer

retention.

3 Increased SGA expenses (advertising).

 #2 Increase Product Diversification

1 Continue to act as buying agent for its members.

PROS

2 Consistent with core competency: efficient & simple.

3 Continue to drive product costs down through volume purchases.

1 Reduce inventory turnover.

CONS

2 Broadening assortment to compete could negatively impact its

core competency of “intellgent loss of sales.”

3 Increased distribution costs.

 #3 Expand Peripheral Services

1 Currently a $1 billion business for Costco in 1997 with profitable

growth opportunity & minimal impact to SGA expenses.
PROS

2 Controlled service experience for the customer (Costco ran

operations itself).

3 No negative impact to operating philosophy.

1 Limited to scale economy services & products.

CONS

2 Reduced sales floor.

3 Increased number of employees & overhead costs.

 Costco Solution

Expand Peripheral Services!

 Costco Solution

“The only purpose for Costco in having the

Executive membership is to make it more
attractive for people to come to the
warehouse and buy from us.”
-Galanti (CFO)