Costco Wholesale Corp whizzed past analysts' estimates for quarterly profit as the warehouse club operator's margins were lifted by a drop in gas prices and a shift to lower-cost sourcing.
The company also said pricing pressure on its groceries business had decreased, adding to the upbeat sentiment.
Competitive Industry
A highly competitive US grocery industry, coupled with the looming threat of Amazon.com Inc expanding its presence in the space, forced Costco and other grocers to slash prices last year and to invest heavily in stores and online.
Kroger Co, one of the largest grocery chains in the United States, said earlier on Wednesday that it would spend up to $3.2 billion to overhaul stores and improve its online business.
Costco has also bolstered its delivery operations and offers same-day grocery delivery with Instacart.
The company is investing on strengthening its online business, sprucing up its website with everything ranging from Apple MacBooks to La Mer cosmetics.
The efforts paid off, with online comparable-store sales, excluding the impact of fuel price and currency changes, rising 25.5% in the second quarter ended 17 February.
But chief financial officer Richard Galanti played down expectations of easing competition in the grocery space.
"I believe there is little less pricing pressure... But don't get me wrong. As soon as we have a good quarter, the next quarter will change that."
Wage Hike
Costco said it will raise its starting wages to $15 and $15.50 per hour, from $14 and $14.50 per hour in the United States and Canada amid a tight labor market.
The increases, along with higher wages for supervisors, will add 3 to 4 basis points to selling, general and administrative expenses over the next four quarters, the company said.
In the second quarter, the company's gross profit margin increased 31 basis points to 11.29%. Profit margins had fallen in the prior three quarters, according to Refinitiv data.
Margins for Costco, which operates gas stations at its warehouses, was also fuelled by lower gas prices.
Net income attributable to the company rose to $889 million, or $2.01 per share, from $701 million, or $1.59 per share, a year earlier. Analysts on average had expected a profit of $1.69 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Total revenue rose 7% to $35.4 billion, but came in below analysts' average estimate of $35.67 billion.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
