'The Cult of Costco'

Costco's consistency - from its $1.50 hot dog and drink combo to its functional shopping carts and satisfied employees - has produced what The Atlantic calls a "cultlike loyalty" among members at more than 600 locations across the U.S. Its annual membership costs $65. The model traces back to Fedco, a nonprofit wholesale collective for federal employees founded in Los Angeles in the 1940s. Costco's private label Kirkland Signature has become one of the world's largest consume...