The company's strategy of selling products at heavily discounted prices has helped it remain on the growth track, as cash-strapped customers still reckon Costco as a viable option for low-cost necessities. However, excluding the effect of deflation in gasoline prices and the adverse impact of foreign currency fluctuations, Costco's comps for the month under review rose 5%, portraying comparable sales growth of 5% and 7% across its U.S. and international outlets, respectively. We believe that Costco Wholesale CorporationCOST continues to be one of the dominant retail wholesalers based on the breadth and quality of merchandise it offers.