Business | The super store

Why Costco is so loved

Keeping customers, employees and investors happy is no mean feat

Customers line up to enter during the grand opening of a Costco Wholesale store in Kyle, Texas, USA.
Photograph: Getty Images

In the nearly 40 years that The Economist has served up its Big Mac index, the price of the McDonald’s burger in America has more than tripled. In that same period the cost of another meaty treat—a hot-dog-and-drink combo at Costco—has remained steady at $1.50. Last year customers of the American big-box retailer devoured 200m of them. Richard Galanti, Costco’s longtime finance boss, once promised to keep the price frozen “for ever”.

This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “The super store”

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