Costco opened its first location in Seattle in 1983.
The first Costco warehouse opened on September 15, 1983, in Seattle, Washington. The company was founded by James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman, who built a membership warehouse business around bulk sales, limited product selection, and low operating costs. Customers pay for membership and generally shop in large, warehouse-style stores.
Costco was not the first business to use the membership-warehouse idea. Price Club, founded in San Diego in 1976, was an important predecessor. Costco and Price Club merged in 1993, initially operating under the name PriceCostco before the Costco name was restored.
Costco is often confused with Sam’s Club because both use annual memberships and sell goods in bulk. Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart, while Costco developed from the Costco and Price Club businesses. Costco’s house brand, Kirkland Signature, was introduced in 1995.