Costco 2013 Annual Report Download - page 7

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5
display and sell quality goods and services. With our global sourcing – now procuring
products from more than 40 countries – we are able to provide our members with many
items, such as fresh produce, throughout the year.
Again in 2013 we expanded our private label, Kirkland Signature™ items, providing our
members exclusive access to high quality products at great values. Notable new items
include Kirkland Signature™ organic Honey Bears and several organic tomato products.
Also new are Kirkland Signature™ Unsalted Fancy Mixed Nuts with Pistachios and
Kirkland Signature™ Dark Chocolate Super Fruits, in addition to the Kirkland
Signature™ Roasted Seaweed. Additionally, we continued to offer new exciting,
upscale brand name products, in a variety of merchandise categories.
Preserving and enhancing the Costco culture created over the past thirty years was a
pervasive theme throughout 2013, and remains a core emphasis as Costco moves into
its fourth decade of operations. We remain focused on not just meeting, but exceeding
the expectations of all our stakeholders, both locally and globally. As impressive as our
success was in 2013, we continually ask ourselves: Are we improving our performance?
Are we growing our business? Is our performance in the eyes of all our stakeholders –
our members, our employees and our suppliers – better today than it was yesterday?
Ultimately, can we reward our shareholders in the years to come as we have over the
past thirty years? These are our challenges for 2014 and beyond. We are confident that
the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit at every level of our Company will sustain our
growth and will continue exceptional performance.
Our future looks bright. By leveraging the dedication and talents of our employees, and
staying true to our core values, we will continue to delight our more than 71 million
cardholders, increase our member base, and achieve continued success.
We thank you, our shareholders, for your trust and support over the past thirty years,
and we look forward to seeing many of you at our Annual Meeting of Shareholders in
Bellevue, Washington on Thursday, January 30, 2014. On behalf of everyone at Costco,
we extend our best wishes to you and your loved ones for a wonderful holiday season
and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!
Best Regards,
Jeff Brotman Craig Jelinek
Chairman of the Board President and Chief Executive Officer