Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-only warehouse clubs, with the first Costco warehouse opened in Seattle in 1983. In October 1993, Costco merged with The Price Company, the corporate parent of Price Club, and the combined company operated under the name PriceCostco. In February 1997, the company changed its name from PriceCostco, Inc. to Costco Companies, Inc., and in 1999 adopted its present corporate name, Costco Wholesale Corporation. [1] [2]
Design and History
The current Costco logo was introduced in 1997, the same year the company rebranded its warehouses under the Costco Wholesale name. [3] The mark consists of the word “COSTCO” in red stylized lettering, with the word “WHOLESALE” in blue and three short horizontal blue lines. [4]
The first Costco logo, used from 1983, was a simple red wordmark with the brand name in lowercase letters except for the initial “C.” In 1993, the logo was updated with all-uppercase lettering, an italicized typeface, and a single blue horizontal line beneath the word. The 1997 redesign replaced that single line with three short horizontal blue stripes and added the word “WHOLESALE” in blue. [3] [5]
This 1997 version remains the official logo in use today. [3] Costco restricts use of its logos, card art and photos, requiring express written approval from Costco Wholesale for any usage. [6]
Typography and Design
The current Costco wordmark uses a customized version of the Futura Extra Bold Oblique typeface, with the letterforms slightly slanted and extended. [5] The red “COSTCO” lettering and blue “WHOLESALE” text with three horizontal blue lines form the complete mark. [4]
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