Costco Gas Station Numbers and Gasoline Sales Revenue

Gas price. Pexels Images.

This article covers Costco’s gasoline sales revenue. Costco derives a significant portion of its net sales from gasoline revenue.

For your information, Costco’s net sales refer specifically to revenue from merchandise sales, excluding any income derived from membership fees, as presented in this article: Costco revenue breakdown: net sales and membership.

Let’s look at the details.

Investors interested in Costco’s other key statistics may find more resources on these pages:

Same Store Sales

• Costco same stores sales by segment: U.S., Canada, and International,

Revenue

• Costco revenue by category: foods, non-foods, fresh foods, etc.,
• Costco revenue by category: merchandise sales and membership fees,
• Costco E-Commerce (Online) sales revenue,
• Costco revenue by region: U.S., Canada, and International,

Profit Margin and Debt

• Costco profit margin by country: U.S., Canada, And International,
• Costco financial position: debt due vs liquidity,

Comparison with Walmart

• Costco vs Walmart: profit margin,
• Costco vs Walmart: profit in the U.S. and International segments,
• Costco vs Walmart: total stores and average store size,

Other Statistics

• Costco total stores worldwide and in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, etc.,
• Costco headcount analysis: total employees and employee by region,

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Definitions

To help readers understand the content better, the following terms and glossaries have been provided.

Warehouse Ancillary: Costco operates its ancillary businesses within or next to its warehouses to provide expanded products and services, encouraging members to shop more frequently. These businesses include gas stations, pharmacy, optical dispensing centers, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation.

Gasoline Sales: Costco’s gasoline sales represent the revenue generated from fuel sold at Costco’s gas stations. These stations are typically located at or near Costco warehouses and are exclusively accessible to Costco members (with rare exceptions in certain regions).

Gasoline sales align with Costco’s core business strategy by offering fuel at competitive, often below-market prices to attract and retain members, increase foot traffic, and support overall membership value.

Gasoline sales are a significant revenue stream for Costco, but they are classified separately from membership fees in its financial reporting. This focus on discounted fuel strengthens member loyalty and helps Costco maintain its reputation as a high-value retailer.

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Why is Costco selling gasoline?

Costco sells gasoline primarily as a way to attract and retain members while boosting overall sales. Here’s why:

• Value for Members: Gasoline is a high-demand commodity, and offering it at a competitive price provides an additional incentive for members to choose Costco over other retailers.


• Increased Foot Traffic: By offering gasoline, Costco encourages members to visit their locations. While there, members are more likely to shop for other merchandise, increasing overall sales.
• Member Loyalty: Providing discounted gasoline reinforces the value of a Costco membership, encouraging renewals and fostering long-term loyalty.
• Low Overheads: Costco’s business model relies on efficiency and low-cost operations. This allows them to offer gasoline at lower prices, aligning with their strategy of delivering value to members.

It’s all about creating a win-win situation where members save on fuel, and Costco strengthens its membership-driven business model. Smart move, wouldn’t you say?

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Insight & Summary of Costco’s Gasoline Sales Revenue

The following analysis consolidates the trends observed across Costco’s gas station numbers and gasoline revenue for the 2016–2025 period.

• Costco’s gasoline operations serve as a premier, high-frequency traffic driver that structurally reinforces its core warehouse membership model.

• The company has maintained a highly disciplined physical expansion, steadily growing its global gas station footprint from 508 locations in 2016 to 747 in 2025, operating with a consistent three-year average growth rate of 3.8%.

• This deliberate capital deployment ensures maximum geographic coverage and utility for members without overextending operational capacity.

• Financially, the gasoline segment acts as a massive, albeit volatile, revenue channel. After a hyper-inflationary surge in 2022 where gasoline sales skyrocketed by 80.4% to represent 14.0% of total merchandise sales, revenue has predictably contracted as global fuel prices normalized.

• Over the latest three periods, gasoline revenue averaged $29,283 million with an average annual decline of 4.6%, bringing its share of total merchandise sales down to a more normalized 11.7% by 2025.

• For investors, this volatility is functionally immaterial to the bottom line; Costco intentionally operates its fuel business at near break-even margins to drive absolute price authority, thereby compounding membership retention and fueling higher-margin in-store purchasing behavior.

The table below combines Costco’s gas station numbers and gasoline revenue into a single view for the latest three fiscal years.

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Number of Gas Stations Worldwide and YoY Growth

Costco’s gasoline business falls under the Warehouse Ancillary segment. You may find more information about Costco’s warehouse ancillary business here: warehouse ancillary.

One notable trend in Costco’s global network of gas stations is its uninterrupted growth over the past ten years. From fiscal year 2016 to 2025, the number of Costco gas stations worldwide has consistently increased each year, without a single decline during this period.

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Gasoline Sales as a Percentage of Total Net Sales

Costco’s gasoline business falls under the Warehouse Ancillary segment. You may find more information about Costco’s warehouse ancillary business here: warehouse ancillary.

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Gasoline Sales Revenue and YoY Growth

Costco’s gasoline business falls under the Warehouse Ancillary segment. You may find more information about Costco’s warehouse ancillary business here: warehouse ancillary.

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References and Credits

1. All financial figures presented were obtained and referenced from Costco’s annual reports published on the company’s investor relations page: Costco Investor Relations.

2. Pexels Images.

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Disclosure

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