Costco opened its first warehouse 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-based warehouse model offering goods in bulk at relatively low prices.
Costco’s early business was influenced by the warehouse-club concept developed by Price Club, which had opened in San Diego in 1976. Costco and Price Club merged in 1993, creating PriceCostco, and the company adopted the Costco name in 1997.
Costco is often compared with Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club because all three rely on paid memberships and warehouse-style shopping. However, Costco’s first warehouse was in Seattle, while Price Club’s first location was in San Diego. The company is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington, near Seattle.