The new Costco stores opened in fiscal 2007 represented anincrease of about 6.5% in unit growth and slightly more than 6.5%in square footage growth, accoriding to Richard Galanti, Costco'sCFO. Galanti explained that the square footage growth was slightlylarger because Costco's new stores and its relocations tend to belarger than the existing stores.

Costco's net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2008increased 12% to nearly $15.5 billion from approximately $13.9billion during the first quarter of fiscal 2007. On a comparablestore basis, net sales increased 8%.

Galanti said that the US comparable sales figures included theeffect of recent gasoline price inflation, with the average salesprice per gallon of gasoline up 21% year-over-year for the firstquarter. Excluding gasoline price inflation, US comparable sales inthe first quarter would have been 4%. In addition, significantlystronger foreign exchange rates, particularly in Canada and the UK,boosted the first quarter's international comparable salesresults.