At a time when Starbucks is closing 200 of its stores and Amazon plans to replace half a million jobs with robots, one Seattle business has been surprisingly resilient: Costco. 

In 1983, Costco opened its first store in Seattle and today it’s the third largest retailer in the world, with more than 900 stores globally. But while Costco is known for its devoted customer base and generosity towards its employees, how long is that kind of growth, and good will, sustainable?

Guest: New Yorker reporter Molly Fischer

Related Links: Can the Golden Age of Costco Last?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.

Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.

 

At a time when Starbucks is closing 200 of its stores and Amazon plans to replace half a million jobs with robots, one Seattle business has been surprisingly resilient:&nbsp;Costco.&nbsp;
In 1983, Costco opened its first store in Seattle and today it&rsquo;s the third largest retailer in the world, with more than 900 stores globally. But while Costco is known for its devoted customer base and generosity towards its employees, how long is that kind of growth, and good will, sustainable?
Guest: New Yorker reporter Molly Fischer
Related Links: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/10/27/can-the-golden-age-of-costco-last">Can the Golden Age of Costco Last?</a>
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes" data-stringify-link="http://kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes" data-sk="tooltip_parent">kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.</a>
Soundside&nbsp;is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
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At a time when Starbucks is closing 200 of its stores and Amazon plans to replace half a million jobs with robots, one Seattle business has been surprisingly resilient: Costco. 

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