Cheap Stocks: Costco Wholesale

Filed under: Costco Wholesale (COST), S and P 500, Stocks to Buy

This post is part of a series featuring bargain stocks that are worth a look now. See more Cheap Stocks.

In troubled economic times, it seems like a no-brainer that discount retailers will fare better than their mid-market competitors. Of the discount group, Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) garners extra points for its brand recognition, broad geographic reach, and dedication to its customers.

Speaking of customer service, I recall being mildly shocked earlier this year upon reading this BusinessWeek article, which alleges that Costco often chooses to cater to its customer base rather than pleasing its investors. Amid skyrocketing commodity costs in July, the mega-retailer warned of a quarterly earnings shortfall, because of a reluctance to hike its own prices and potentially alienate its customer base.

I'm no CEO, but to my mind, the happiness of Costco's investors is directly pegged to how satisfied its customers are. If shoppers are turned off by price increases and take their business over to, say, Sam's Club -- what have the investors won? It takes a clear-headed management team to consider the long-term effects on its core customer base over the short-term demands of frustrated traders.

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Cheap Stocks: Costco Wholesale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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