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. But in 2026, the Costco story is increasingly and decisively becoming a global story. The company now operates warehouses across 14 countries on five continents, and its international markets are not simply following the domestic business — in many cases they are outpacing it.

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. CFO Gary Millerchip described the long-range plan plainly during the Q2 2026 earnings call: "We're expecting around half, maybe slightly over half, to be in the U.S., and then just around half to slightly under half to be in the rest of the markets that we operate in — Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Australia." With a stated goal of 30-plus new warehouses per year through the next decade, Costco's international expansion is not a peripheral growth initiative. It is a co-equal pillar of the company's long-term strategy.

For brands building Costco Roadshow programs and working with fractional brand managers to navigate the channel, the implications of this international acceleration are both exciting and urgent. At MOJO Sales & Branding, we track Costco's global expansion with the same intensity we track its domestic roadshow calendar — because the brands that build the strongest U.S. Costco relationships today are creating the foundation for an international brand growth story that could unfold across dozens of markets over the coming decade.

Costco International Expansion 2026: The Full Geographic Picture

Costco's Q2 2026 warehouse footprint of 924 locations across 14 countries tells a story of deliberate, diversified global positioning. The breakdown as of early 2026: 634 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 validates the global strategy emphatically. Canada, operating 114 warehouses and generating comparable sales growth of 7 to 10.1 percent depending on the reporting period, is Costco's most mature and most consistently strong international market — a near-domestic in its member loyalty depth and commercial sophistication. The Other International segment, which encompasses all markets outside the U.S. and Canada, is generating the fastest comparable sales growth in the entire Costco enterprise — outperforming both the U.S. and Canadian businesses on a percentage basis in every reporting period of fiscal 2026.

This international outperformance is not a statistical anomaly driven by small base effects. Japan's 37 warehouses serve a deeply loyal membership base that has made Costco one of the most recognizable and trusted foreign retail brands in the country — a remarkable achievement in a market historically resistant to foreign retail formats. Korea's 20 warehouses generate per-location sales volumes that are among the highest in the entire Costco global network, reflecting a member enthusiasm for the warehouse club format that rivals and in some cases exceeds domestic U.S. engagement levels. Australia's 15 warehouses serve members who have embraced the Costco value proposition with the same intensity and loyalty that characterizes the brand's strongest American markets.

The Mexico Opportunity: Latin America's Largest Costco Is Now Open

Mexico represents one of the most commercially compelling chapters of the Costco international expansion 2026 story — and one that carries the most direct and immediate implications for brands with products that resonate with multicultural consumer demographics. With 42 warehouses already operating across major Mexican markets, Costco Mexico is one of the company's most consistently strong international performers, with a membership base that has demonstrated remarkable loyalty and purchasing enthusiasm across economic cycles.

In 2026, Costco is opening what will become the largest Costco warehouse in all of Latin America in Monterrey — a facility 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 premium consumer market, this expansion creates a genuinely significant roadshow opportunity that is accessible through the same buyer relationships and operational frameworks that govern the U.S. roadshow program.

The cultural alignment between Mexican family shopping culture and Costco's fundamental value proposition — family-scale quantities, premium quality at accessible prices, the community experience of the membership relationship — has proven to be a powerful and durable commercial combination. Mexican Costco members bring the same discovery enthusiasm, trust in Costco's product curation, and receptivity to roadshow demonstrations that characterize the U.S. member experience, in a market that is growing meaningfully faster than the domestic business.

Japan, Korea, and the Asia-Pacific Opportunity

Costco's Asia-Pacific markets represent the most intriguing and potentially most transformative dimension of the international expansion story for brands with products that have genuine global appeal. Japan and Korea together operate 57 warehouses and serve member bases whose per-location sales productivity is extraordinary by any international benchmark.

Japan's Costco membership is notable for its deep product loyalty and intense social media engagement — Japanese Costco members document their warehouse discoveries on social platforms with the same enthusiasm and cultural specificity that characterizes Costco's North American social media community, creating discovery content that drives new member acquisition and reinforces existing member loyalty. The food and beverage categories are particularly strong in Japan, where members prize premium ingredient quality and authentic food heritage — characteristics that align naturally with the premium branded products that perform best in the Costco roadshow format.

Korea's Costco market has produced some of the highest per-location revenue figures in the global network, driven by a member demographic that combines high household incomes, strong brand consciousness, and an enthusiastic embrace of the warehouse club shopping model. Korean consumers' sophisticated palate for both domestic and international premium food products creates a natural receptivity to the premium branded roadshow format that has made the Korean Costco market an important consideration for international brand expansion strategies.

Costco's localization strategy in Asia — tailoring Kirkland Signature products to regional preferences, including premium seafood in Japan and products aligned with Korean culinary traditions — demonstrates the company's commitment to genuine market relevance rather than simply exporting the American warehouse experience. For branded roadshow products entering these markets, understanding the specific consumer preferences and cultural dynamics of each Asian Costco market is essential preparation for commercial success.

Europe: An Emerging Roadshow Frontier

Costco's European presence — 29 warehouses in the United Kingdom, 5 in Spain, 3 in France, 2 in Sweden, and 1 in Iceland — represents a market opportunity that is at an earlier and therefore more commercially interesting stage of development than the company's more mature North American and Asian markets. European Costco locations are consistently among the highest-revenue per-location performers in the global network, driven by member demographics that skew toward highly educated, high-income consumers with strong appetites for premium quality products at value prices.

The U.K. market, with 29 warehouses, is Costco's most developed European presence and has produced a member community with strong social media engagement and enthusiastic product discovery culture. British Costco members document their finds on social media with the same viral enthusiasm that characterizes North American Costco communities, creating a discovery pipeline for premium brands that extends the commercial reach of roadshow events far beyond the members who are physically present.

The French market, with 3 warehouses in major population centers including Paris, represents a particularly interesting opportunity for premium food, wine, and lifestyle brands whose product stories resonate with French consumer values of quality, provenance, and culinary heritage. The roadshow format translates powerfully into French consumer culture, where direct, authentic human recommendation carries significant commercial weight and where the sample-to-sale conversion of genuinely excellent products is driven by the same sensory discovery psychology that powers roadshow success in every Costco market globally.

Building Your International Costco Brand Strategy

The strategic implication of Costco's global expansion for brands building 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 with the right fractional brand management support, 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 — a track record that international buyers examine carefully when evaluating new product introductions in their markets. Every strong sales performance validates your product's consumer appeal in the most demanding retail environment available. And every buyer relationship built in the U.S. market creates pathways to the international buyer conversations that open global Costco doors.

At MOJO Sales & Branding, we help brands think about their Costco roadshow programs not just as domestic revenue generation but as the strategic foundation for a global retail relationship with one of the world's most powerful and rapidly expanding retail institutions.

Contact us today at 732.433.7873 or Susan@MOJOSalesandBranding.com and let us help your brand build the Costco relationship that grows with the world.

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