Read more: Washington Business Journal

###

Like me, you probably have a plastic Costco card in your wallet. And so do more than 50 million other people who pay an annual fee (between $50 and $100) to be members. This widespread popularity is not surprising in light of a recent survey of more than 30,000 Consumer Reports readers who judged Costco as the best place to shop in the United States in terms of price, value and shopping experience. In fact, Costco Wholesale Corp. is the first company to grow from zero to $3 billion in sales in less than six years. Obviously, it has been doing something right, and we could probably learn a thing or two from this popular worldwide warehouse club.