Costco Wholesale Corp
1. What is Costco’s business model? Is the company’s business model appealing? Why or why not?
Costco’s business model was to generate high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover by offering members low prices on a limited selection of nationally branded and selected private label products in a wide range of merchandise. Costco's business model is built upon customer memberships, who join and renew annually. This directly monetizes customer loyalty as unsatisfied members may not renew and represents a real cost to Costco's business. Its business model is fantastic, all customers want to find great bargains and Costco is setup to keep the customer coming back to find them.
2. What are the chief elements of Costco’s strategy? How good is the strategy?
The cornerstone of Costco’s strategy was low prices, limited selection, and a treasure-hunt shopping environment. Chief elements of Costco’s strategy were low prices, limited selection, and a treasure-hunt shopping environment. The ultra-low pricing strategy includes a mark-up capped at 14% and Kirkland, a Costco brand designed to be of equal or better quality than national brands. Product Selection is limited to 4,000 items within a wide variety of categories. Costco does however include ancillary businesses to increase member alternatives. The loss of sales from customers who refuse to purchase large amounts is considered “Intelligent loss of sales.” Treasure-Hunt Merchandising consists of a constantly changing selection of 1,000 luxury items on the floor enticing shoppers to spend more than they might otherwise by offering irresistible deals. To make Treasure-Hunt shopping profitable, Costco’s buyers purchase these items from the grey market such as wholesalers, or distressed retailers rather than
Costco’s business model was to generate high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover by offering members low prices on a limited selection of nationally branded and selected private label products in a wide range of merchandise. Costco's business model is built upon customer memberships, who join and renew annually. This directly monetizes customer loyalty as unsatisfied members may not renew and represents a real cost to Costco's business. Its business model is fantastic, all customers want to find great bargains and Costco is setup to keep the customer coming back to find them.
2. What are the chief elements of Costco’s strategy? How good is the strategy?
The cornerstone of Costco’s strategy was low prices, limited selection, and a treasure-hunt shopping environment. Chief elements of Costco’s strategy were low prices, limited selection, and a treasure-hunt shopping environment. The ultra-low pricing strategy includes a mark-up capped at 14% and Kirkland, a Costco brand designed to be of equal or better quality than national brands. Product Selection is limited to 4,000 items within a wide variety of categories. Costco does however include ancillary businesses to increase member alternatives. The loss of sales from customers who refuse to purchase large amounts is considered “Intelligent loss of sales.” Treasure-Hunt Merchandising consists of a constantly changing selection of 1,000 luxury items on the floor enticing shoppers to spend more than they might otherwise by offering irresistible deals. To make Treasure-Hunt shopping profitable, Costco’s buyers purchase these items from the grey market such as wholesalers, or distressed retailers rather than