VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Stock Comparison

Costco Wholesale Corporation vs lululemon athletica 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)$410.5B
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

lululemon athletica inc.

LULU · Nasdaq Global Select Market

Market cap (USD)
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorConsumer
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-12
Moat score
69/ 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 lululemon athletica inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View LULU analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Costco Wholesale Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 69 / 100 for lululemon athletica inc.).
  • Segment focus: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 segments (98.1% in Warehouse club retail); lululemon athletica inc. has 3 segments (63.2% in Women's products).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Strong.
  • Moat breadth: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; lululemon athletica inc. has 3 across 2.

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%

lululemon athletica inc.

Women's products

Market

Premium women's technical athletic apparel (athleisure: yoga, run, train, lifestyle)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users) via company-operated stores and e-commerce; limited wholesale

Role

Brand owner / designer / DTC retailer

Revenue share

63.2%

Side-by-side metrics

Costco Wholesale Corporation
lululemon athletica inc.
Ticker / Exchange
COST - Nasdaq Global Select Market
LULU - Nasdaq Global Select Market
Market cap (USD)
$410.5B
n/a
Gross margin (TTM)
12.9%
n/a
Operating margin (TTM)
3.8%
n/a
Net margin (TTM)
3%
n/a
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Discount Stores
n/a
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Warehouse club retail
Women's products
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Strong
Moat score
80 / 100
69 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Financial, Demand
Demand, Supply
Last update
2025-12-21
2026-01-12

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Brand Trust

Costco Wholesale Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostOperational ExcellenceNegative Working CapitalHabit DefaultFloat Prepayment

lululemon athletica inc. strengths

Distribution ControlLearning Curve Yield

Segment mix

Costco Wholesale Corporation segments

Full profile >

Warehouse club retail

Oligopoly

98.1%

Membership fees (subscription)

Oligopoly

1.9%

lululemon athletica inc. segments

Full profile >

Women's products

Competitive

63.2%

Men's products

Competitive

24.2%

Other categories (accessories, footwear, Studio)

Competitive

12.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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

View expansion-stage stocks

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.