COST vs XOM Comparison

Costco operates a membership-based, no-frills retail model predicated on offering a select product assortment in bulk quantities at bargain prices. The firm avoids maintaining costly product displays by keeping inventory on pallets and limits distribution expenses by storing its inventory at point of sale in the warehouse. Given its frugal cost structure, the firm is able to price its merchandise below that of competing retailers, driving high sales volume per warehouse and generating strong profits on thin margins. Costco operates over 600 warehouses in the United States and has over 60% share in the domestic warehouse club industry. Internationally, Costco operates about 280 warehouses, primarily in Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the UK.

ExxonMobil is an integrated oil and gas company that explores for, produces, and refines oil worldwide. In 2024, it produced 3.0 million barrels of liquids and 8.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. At the end of 2024, reserves were 19.9 billion barrels of oil equivalent, 69% of which were liquids. The company is one of the world's largest refiners, with a total global refining capacity of 4.3 million barrels of oil per day, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers of commodity and specialty chemicals.