VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Etsy, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Costco Wholesale Corporation

COST · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)$437.3B
Gross margin (TTM)12.9%
Operating margin (TTM)3.8%
Net margin (TTM)3%
SectorConsumer
IndustryDiscount Stores
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
80/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Costco Wholesale Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View COST analysis

Etsy, Inc.

ETSY · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$5.2B
Gross margin (TTM)71.6%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)5.7%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
66/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Etsy, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ETSY analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Costco Wholesale Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 66 / 100 for Etsy, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 segments (98.1% in Warehouse club retail); Etsy, Inc. has 2 segments (72% in Marketplace Platform (transaction fees + payments processing + listing fees)).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Etsy, Inc. has 6 across 3.

Primary market context

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Warehouse club retail

Market

Membership warehouse club retail (warehouse clubs, ancillary services, and e-commerce)

Geography

Global

Customer

Households and small businesses

Role

Retailer (membership club)

Revenue share

98.1%

Etsy, Inc.

Marketplace Platform (transaction fees + payments processing + listing fees)

Market

Specialty e-commerce marketplaces (handmade/unique goods and resale fashion)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers and independent sellers

Role

Two-sided marketplace operator and payments facilitator

Revenue share

72%

Side-by-side metrics

Costco Wholesale Corporation
Etsy, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
COST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
ETSY - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$437.3B
$5.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
12.9%
71.6%
Operating margin (TTM)
3.8%
9.3%
Net margin (TTM)
3%
5.7%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Discount Stores
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Warehouse club retail
Marketplace Platform (transaction fees + payments processing + listing fees)
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
80 / 100
66 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Financial, Demand
Network, Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceBrand Trust

Costco Wholesale Corporation strengths

Negative Working CapitalHabit DefaultFloat Prepayment

Etsy, Inc. strengths

Two Sided NetworkSuite BundlingData Workflow Lockin

Segment mix

Costco Wholesale Corporation segments

Full profile >

Warehouse club retail

Oligopoly

98.1%

Membership fees (subscription)

Oligopoly

1.9%

Etsy, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Marketplace Platform (transaction fees + payments processing + listing fees)

Competitive

72%

Seller Services (on-site advertising + shipping labels + other)

Quasi-Monopoly

28%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.