Costco CEO explains how the chain kept prices low as tariffs and egg costs hit retailers hard
Customers exit a Costco Warehouse in Pennsylvania. Gene Puskar/AP Costco rerouted some imports and found US-made alternatives in the wake of tariffs, executives said. The chain also dealt with higher butter and egg costs by taking a profit-margin hit on some items. Costco tracks key commodity prices "daily, and if not hourly," its CEO said. Shoppers have faced higher prices due to tariffs and bird flu this year. Costco, meanwhile, has worked to avoid price hikes on many items thanks to a multi-pronged approach, executives said during the retailer's third-quarter earnings call on Thursday. As the threat of tariffs became real during the quarter, which included President Donald Trump's " Liberation Day ," Costco brought in some merchandise for summer earlier than usual and purchased more US-made inventory, CEO Ron Vachris said during the call. The chain also rerouted some goods it had already purchased for its US stores to its locations abroad i...