Costco International Expansion 2026: What Global Growth Means for Brands Ready to Go Beyond U.S. Borders

Most brands pursuing a Costco Roadshow think of Costco as an American story. And it is — the United States remains by far the company's largest single market, with 634 of its 924 warehouses operating domestically and generating the lion's share of its $270 billion in annual revenue. But in 2026, the Costco story is increasingly and decisively becoming a global story. And for brands that understand the full scope of what Costco's international expansion 2026 represents, the implications are not just interesting — they are transformational for how ambitious consumer brands should think about their Costco relationships and their long-term growth trajectories.

At MOJO Sales & Branding, we track the full arc of Costco's global expansion with the same intensity we track its domestic roadshow calendar. Because the brands that build the strongest Costco relationships today — the ones that demonstrate consistent sales performance, operational excellence, and genuine member appeal across multiple events and markets — are the brands that will be best positioned to ride Costco's international wave as it builds toward one of the most significant retail growth stories of the coming decade.

Costco International Expansion 2026: The Numbers That Tell the Story

Costco concluded its second fiscal quarter of 2026 operating 924 warehouses across 14 countries. The geographic breakdown tells a story of a company that has planted deliberate, strategic flags across the most commercially dynamic markets in the world: 634 warehouses in the United States and Puerto Rico, 114 in Canada, 42 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, 7 in China, 5 in Spain, 3 in France, 2 in Sweden, and 1 each in Iceland and New Zealand.

The financial performance of these international markets in 2026 is not just solid — it is in many cases outpacing the domestic business. During the first 18 weeks of fiscal 2026, while U.S. comparable sales grew 5.9 percent, Canada delivered 7 percent comparable sales growth and Other International markets produced a remarkable 9.5 percent comparable sales increase.

In the second fiscal quarter specifically, Other International comparable sales surged 13 percent — more than double the U.S. rate. These are not incremental numbers. They are the financial signature of markets where Costco is still in the early stages of capturing its full consumer opportunity, where membership density relative to population is significantly lower than in mature U.S. markets, and where the appeal of Costco's value proposition resonates with particular force among consumers navigating their own inflationary and economic pressures.

CEO Ron Vachris has been clear about where the company's long-term growth ambitions lie: "We continue to see significant opportunities for expansion, both domestically and internationally, in the markets where we are currently active." Costco's long-term planning calls for more than 30 net new warehouse openings annually on a sustained basis, with roughly half of those future openings planned outside the United States.

Japan: Costco's Most Mature International Success Story

Among Costco's international markets, Japan stands out as the most compelling proof of concept for what long-term international expansion looks like when the strategy is executed with patience and cultural intelligence. Japan currently hosts 37 Costco warehouses — nearly double the 20 locations the company operated just several years ago — and represents one of the most active expansion markets in Costco's global portfolio.

The Japanese Costco member is a fascinating and commercially significant consumer profile. Japan is a market where quality consciousness is extraordinarily high, where brand authenticity carries exceptional weight, and where the concept of value is understood not simply as low price but as the best possible quality at a fair price. These are precisely the values that Costco's membership model was built around — and they explain why Costco has found a deeply loyal and enthusiastic membership base in Japan despite competing in one of the world's most sophisticated and demanding retail environments.

For brands with products that have genuine quality stories and authentic differentiation, the Japanese Costco market represents a long-term opportunity of extraordinary potential. The roadshow format, which allows brands to tell their story directly to highly engaged members, is particularly well-suited to a consumer culture that values detailed product knowledge, authentic demonstration, and personal engagement with brand representatives. Brands that build their Costco roadshow credentials in the U.S. create the track record and buyer relationship foundation that makes international roadshow expansion achievable.

China: The Most Consequential Emerging Market in Costco's Global Portfolio

Costco entered China with its first warehouse in Shanghai in 2019 — and the response was extraordinary, immediately and literally, with members crowding the opening day so densely that Costco was forced to temporarily suspend operations.

That opening-day chaos was not an anomaly. It was a signal. Chinese consumers, particularly the affluent urban middle class in major metropolitan centers, responded to Costco's membership value proposition with a level of enthusiasm that exceeded even the company's optimistic projections.

Costco currently operates 7 warehouses in China, with its presence concentrated in major urban markets. The company's early-stage Chinese footprint — which has plateaued at 7 locations as Costco evaluates the operational and regulatory landscape carefully before accelerating — represents optionality of genuinely extraordinary scale. China's urban middle class is estimated at hundreds of millions of consumers, and the appetite among that demographic for premium international products, authentic brand experiences, and genuine value within a curated, trustworthy retail environment aligns remarkably well with what Costco delivers.

For U.S.-based brands that have established strong Costco roadshow track records domestically, the Chinese market represents a future opportunity that is difficult to overstate. A brand that has proven its commercial appeal to Costco's U.S. membership base — with clean sales data, strong buyer relationships, and a demonstrated ability to execute excellent roadshows — is positioned to be considered for international expansion as Costco accelerates its Chinese warehouse rollout in the years ahead.

Europe: Spain, France, and the Next Frontier

Costco's European presence — 5 locations in Spain, 3 in France, 2 in Sweden, and 1 in Iceland — is still in the early stages of what the company clearly sees as a significant long-term growth opportunity. The company's recent creative real estate strategy has included converting a former hypermart in Toulouse, France into a functioning Costco warehouse — a template for accelerated European expansion that lowers capital costs and shortens development timelines.

European consumers, particularly in markets like Spain and France where food culture is deeply sophisticated and quality consciousness is extremely high, represent an ideal demographic for premium branded products with compelling origin stories and clear quality differentiation.

Costco's European members tend to be affluent, urban, educated, and highly engaged with the brand discovery experience that Costco delivers. The roadshow format, which introduces members to new brands through live demonstration and personal engagement, translates powerfully into European consumer culture where direct, authentic human recommendation carries significant commercial weight.

Latin America: Mexico's Extraordinary Growth and the Monterrey Milestone

Mexico is one of Costco's most consistently strong international markets, with 42 warehouses and a membership base that has demonstrated remarkable loyalty and enthusiasm across economic cycles. The cultural affinity between Mexican shopping culture and Costco's value proposition — bulk purchasing, family-scale quantities, premium quality at accessible prices — has proven to be a powerful and durable combination.

In 2026, Costco is opening what will become the largest Costco warehouse in all of Latin America in Monterrey, Mexico — a warehouse exceeding 200,000 square feet that signals the company's profound confidence in the Mexican market's long-term potential. Additional locations are planned in Mexico City, Puebla, and Queretaro beyond 2026. For brands with products that have multicultural appeal, bilingual packaging capability, and price points that translate well to the Mexican consumer landscape, this expansion represents a genuinely significant roadshow opportunity.

What Costco International Expansion 2026 Means for Your Brand Strategy Right Now

The strategic implication of Costco's global expansion for brands building their Costco roadshow programs is both clear and urgent: the Costco relationship you build today in the U.S. market is not just a domestic revenue opportunity. It is the foundation for an international brand growth story that, if managed correctly, could unfold across dozens of markets and hundreds of warehouses over the coming decade.

Every successful U.S. roadshow event contributes to your brand's track record with Costco's buying organization. Every strong sales performance validates your product's consumer appeal.

Every repeat booking deepens the buyer relationship that ultimately determines whether your brand gets considered for international expansion opportunities as they emerge. The brands that approach their Costco strategy as a global long-term relationship rather than a series of individual domestic sales events are the brands that will be positioned to ride Costco's international expansion wave to genuinely transformational scale.

MOJO Sales & Branding builds Costco roadshow strategies with this long-term, global perspective firmly in mind. We help brands not just execute excellent individual events but build the relationships, the track records, and the operational reputations that position them for the full scope of what a Costco partnership can become.

Contact us today at 732.433.7873 or Susan@MOJOSalesandBranding.com and let us start building the global Costco strategy your brand deserves.

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