Costco has more than 700 stores in 12 countries around the globe - and its Japan stores are some of its best

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Costco has more than 700 stores in 12 countries around the globe - and its Japan stores are some of its best

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Costco has 749 stores in total.

  • The first Costco store opened in the US in 1976.
  • Since then, it has expanded to Europe, Australasia, and Asia.  
  • We compared the experience of shopping in its stores in Japan versus the US.

A love of Costco transcends all geographical borders.

While America created the Costco phenomenon, its operations now extend far beyond the confines of this country and into Australasia, Europe, and Asia. 

Costco opened its first Japan location in 1999 and since then has grown its presence to 26 stores, which span the breadth of the country. 

The Japanese arm of the business is a wholly owned subsidiary of Costco US. While it stocks several US brands and Costco private-label products, there are some big differences between the experiences of shopping in both locations. 

Find out how different the two stores are below:

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... which is exactly what you might see in the US.

... which is exactly what you might see in the US.

For many US Costco customers, a trip to the store isn't complete without dropping in at its food court, where you can pick up $1.50 hot dogs.

For many US Costco customers, a trip to the store isn't complete without dropping in at its food court, where you can pick up $1.50 hot dogs.
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In America, Costco charges $60 annually for a basic membership and $120 for an executive membership.

In America, Costco charges $60 annually for a basic membership and $120 for an executive membership.

In Japan, it costs around $36 a year to be a basic member (excluding tax), and $41 to be a gold star member (excluding tax).

Source: Costco Japan

Costco Japan certainly lives up to its US counterpart and with a cheaper membership, longer opening hours, and amazing sushi, it might just be an even better place to shop.

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