Topic: Costco Wholesale Corporation

CEO Interview: Costco's Jim Sinegal

As Costco marks its 25th year, straight-talking CEO Jim Sinegal shares his two cents on sustainability, the economy, universal health care, and what our next president should do.READ»

The Costco Buzz

"How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart," read the headline in the New York Times last Sunday. Old news, I thought to myself. We highlighted Costco founder Jim Sinegal in our Customers First Awards last year. Seemingly all the business ...READ»

HR Quandary of the Day

Workforce magazine recently ran an interesting article about a Costco employee who sued her employer. The reason? The company's dress code ran counter to her spiritual beliefs -- she was a member of the Church of Body Modification. ...READ»

The Tiger in Costco's Tank

The big box is fueling its revenues with its gas business and freaking the competition.READ»

Crisis Buster Tip #10: In a Tough Economy, Better Customer Service Wins

“Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it.” ~Peter DruckerREAD»

"We Are Determined to Take Them Some Place They Don't Want to Go."

That's how Brad Seligman described his class-action gender discrimination suit against Wal-Mart to me a few years ago. It's the largest such suit in American history, representing 1.6 million current and former female employees. Now ...READ»

Analysis of Paralysis

If your strategy doesn't help employees act, it's not a strategy.READ»

• There Are Competing Priorities in Every Business

Savvy, With Hints Of Guile And Resourcefulness

Cameron Hughes turned his low-cost premium vintner into an $8 million business--and an unexpected hit at Costco--with no inventory or equipment. Now he's expanding from California to as many as 150 Costcos nationwide. Here's how Hughes makes nectar from nothing.READ»

iFive: Starbucks, Netflix, News Corp, Salesforce.com, and yes, Fast Company in Today's Innovation News

While you slept, innovation didn't. Here's what you missed and need to know. Notoriously union-averse Starbucks, Costco, and Whole Foods filed their card to reform labor law by creating a  third place on the Employee Free ...READ»

Wal-Mart vs. Costco

The differences between Wal-Mart and Costco provide one of the most interesting studies in contrast going today. For any number of reasons, it seems that Wal-Mart is regularly (and maybe justifiably) villified while Costco is ...READ»

There Are Some Things Wal-Mart Just Doesn't Get

Wal-Mart has long been known as a very successful retailer.  It is also known as an employer that pays at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to employee wages and benefits.  As a result, the rates of employee theft and ...READ»

The Sudden Return of the Rational Consumer

It had to happen. For years now, we’ve been blathering about Starbucks, the $3 cup of coffee, and the mass-marketing of upscale luxury in small, accessible sips. I’ve been in dozens of meeting where the Seattle caffeine pusher ...READ»

What Is Labor Day Really About Anyway?

A Kick in the Career: In this week's installment, humorist and career expert Tom Stern muses about Labor Day. As the celebration of the American worker should we all (no exceptions) have the day off, or should we just go against the grain and go into work. Besides, who needs an end of summer barbecue.READ»

• Inside the Bun: The Business of Selling Hot Dogs

The redesign of the private label brands.

It’s obvious that brands and companies are doing everything possible to figure out how they can maintain sales in this tough economy. As mentioned, in this weekend’s NY Times: Store Brands Lift Grocers in Troubled Times, the ...READ»

The Price is Right

Sure, everybody loves a bargain. But smart companies know we'll also happily pay a premium for products we really love. These "new luxuries" aren't always what you'd expect, either.READ»

Show Compassion, Find Profit

I have a lot of people tell me how unique my company is. I guess it's because in my industry (call centers), most businesses are focused on being the lowest bidder and aren't concerned about sacrificing employee morale and margins. In ...READ»

Customer-Centered Leader: Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A's Dan Cathy practices servant leadership -- and customers and employees of the restaurant chain eat it up.READ»

Editor's Letter: Two Wicked Startups, One Common Thread

During the past few weeks, I've been making the rounds to top execs at big companies across the country to see how this economic crisis is playing out on the ground. Among the consistent laments I've heard: Firms can't plan and ...READ»

Retail's Challenge: The Overstuffed Consumer

Long before September 11, U.S. consumers were suffering shopping fatigue from a six-year buying binge that left them overstuffed and underwhelmed. Now an industry expert tells retailers what they need to do to lure shoppers back.READ»

Rwanda Rising: A New Model of Economic Development

Fifteen years after the genocide, the small African country has embraced a new model of economic development. Its strategy: Build a global network of powerful friends to lure private investment -- and market the brand of Rwanda.READ»

• Slideshow: The Rwandan Genocide 15 Years Later

Big in Japan: Report From Asia's Most Influential Design Fair

The latest products and trends from Asia's most influential interiors fair mark a return to basics--delivered with a pop twist.READ»

Truly Visionary Leaders Create More Visionary Leaders

It is my pleasure to introduce guest blogger, James Allan. Enjoy his post below! -Seth KahanVisionary leaders have the ability to look into the future and create a map to a new area. Then, they get others to follow until the vision is ...READ»

Fast Company Magazine April 2009 Issue Online

This Month's Cover Story: Boy Wonder: How Chris Hughes Helped Launch Facebook and the Barack Obama Campaign , by Ellen McGirt, page 58 The untold story of how Chris Hughes, at the tender age of 25, helped create two of the most ...READ»

Putting Customers First

You'd think more companies would have gotten it by now. Unfortunately, organizations that put customers at the center of what they do are rare -- so rare that we're celebrating them. Meet the best customer-focused outfits, and learn from them.READ»

The Smart Setup

The new year brings with it a small raft of thought-provoking business books. Here are the candidates most likely to be 2007's Freakonomics, Fast Food Nation, or Blink.READ»