In general, retail performance over the last year has been influenced by consumers changing spending patterns amid inflation spikes and tariff uncertainty, but ultimately, Costco stores consistently improved foot traffic. Costco adapts to shopping trends so savvy consumers can access data and technology to find the best possible deal across Costco’s inventory and other competitors. It’s hard to be an optimistic investor amid market instability, sell-offs and Fed hikes, but by being the third-biggest retailer in the world (behind Walmart and Amazon), Costco can absorb market turbulence and tolerate dips better than most companies.