Image source: Motley Fool The company is remarkably disciplined when it comes to cost savings, particularly in areas such as marketing and advertising, where many competitors typically spend considerable resources. Gasoline price deflation and foreign currency headwinds are hurting the company's performance when expressed in U.S. dollars, but Costco is still delivering rock-solid figures when leaving those external considerations aside. Costco and Alphabet are very different companies operating in their own industries and with their own weaknesses and strengths.