Costco NPS 2025 stands at 49 in grocery and 52 in big box retail, according to QuestionPro’s benchmark report. Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a loyalty metric that subtracts the share of detractors from the share of promoters. The grocery average in the same research is 37, so Costco leads by 12 points.
That gap shows how strongly warehouse club members feel about the brand. It also raises fair questions about where the numbers come from and how far to trust them.
In this blog, we’ll break down Costco’s score, compare it with other grocers, and show how to measure NPS in your own business.
What is Costco’s NPS in 2025?
Costco’s NPS in 2025 is 49 in the grocery category and 52 in big box retail. Both sit well above the grocery average of 37 found in QuestionPro’s grocery NPS benchmarks, which draw on a Q1 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. participants. The table shows how each score breaks down.
| Category | Promoters | Passives | Detractors | NPS |
| Grocery | 63% | 23% | 14% | 49 |
| Big box retail | 65% | 22% | 13% | 52 |
Source: QuestionPro Q1 2025 NPS and CSAT benchmark, as reported in its NPS in retail analysis.
In grocery, 63% of respondents were promoters and only 14% were detractors. The big box cut is slightly stronger at 65% promoters and 13% detractors. Both profiles describe a loyal base with few unhappy members.
What is NPS and how is it calculated?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric built on one question. How likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or colleague? Customers answer on a 0 to 10 scale and fall into three groups.
- Promoters (9 to 10): loyal fans who recommend the brand.
- Passives (7 to 8): satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who could switch.
- Detractors (0 to 6): unhappy customers who may warn others off.
The formula is NPS = % promoters minus % detractors. Passives count in the total but not in the subtraction. Scores run from -100 to +100.
Costco’s grocery result shows the math. 63% promoters minus 14% detractors equals an NPS of 49. For a full walkthrough, see this NPS formula guide.
How does Costco’s NPS compare with other grocers?
Costco ranks third among the grocery brands in QuestionPro’s 2025 benchmark, behind H-E-B and Meijer. Its closest warehouse club rival, Sam’s Club, trails by seven points. The table lists the brands side by side.
| Brand | NPS | Versus grocery average (37) |
| H-E-B | 63 | +26 |
| Meijer | 50 | +13 |
| Costco | 49 | +12 |
| Sam’s Club | 42 | +5 |
| Trader Joe’s | 41 | +4 |
| Whole Foods Market | 35 | -2 |
| Safeway | 17 | -20 |
Source: QuestionPro Q1 2025 benchmark, including its Sam’s Club NPS analysis and grocery NPS benchmarks.
Sam’s Club runs the same membership model with a similar product mix. The seven-point gap suggests that execution matters as much as format. Safeway’s 17 shows how widely scores can vary inside one industry.
These insights come from QuestionPro’s latest study, which surveyed 1,000 participants to gather NPS data across various companies and industries. The report reflects real user opinions from Q1 2025 and is updated quarterly.
Why do published Costco NPS numbers differ?
Published Costco NPS figures differ because each study uses its own method, sample, time frame and category definition. Reading two numbers side by side without checking those four things leads to false conclusions.
- Category cut: QuestionPro reports 49 for grocery and 52 for big box retail from the same study.
- Sample and timing: Comparably lists a Costco NPS of 50 with 68% promoters and 18% detractors, built from its own respondent pool.
- Survey type: A relationship survey asks about the brand overall. A transactional survey asks about one visit, and scores often differ.
- Scale: Satisfaction indexes such as ACSI run from 0 to 100, not -100 to +100, so they do not line up with NPS directly.
Pick one source at a time. Compare Costco only with brands measured in the same study.
Do other loyalty measures back up Costco’s NPS?
Yes. Membership renewals and customer satisfaction both point in the same direction as Costco’s NPS.
- Renewal rate: Costco reported a 92.3% renewal rate in the U.S. and Canada and 89.8% worldwide in its fourth quarter fiscal 2026 results. Paid memberships reached 84.1 million.
- Customer satisfaction: The American Customer Satisfaction Index puts Costco at 81 out of 100 for 2026, unchanged from the year before.
- A useful caveat: Sam’s Club scored 82 in the same ACSI study despite a lower NPS. Brands can rank differently on satisfaction and on willingness to recommend.
Renewal is the strongest business signal here. Members vote with their money every year.
Why do members recommend Costco?
Members recommend Costco because its model ties low prices to trust. Fees fund the business, margins stay thin, and pricing follows clear rules.
- Fees fund the model.
Bain’s Net Promoter System analysis of Costco argues that membership fees secure required profit at the start of each year. That frees other decisions to focus on customer love. The U.S. annual fee is $65, per Costco’s fiscal 2026 annual report. - Thin margins.
Costco’s gross margin was 11.09% in fiscal 2026. The same annual report calls that significantly lower than most retailers. - Fixed markups.
The Bain analysis cites a 14% markup, or 15% for Kirkland Signature, and says Costco refuses to make exceptions to it. - Private label quality.
Costco’s annual report says Kirkland Signature products are high quality. - Fair treatment.
The Bain authors describe a price-drop credit issued within days. Small moments like that turn shoppers into promoters.
Each point builds trust. Trust is what moves a customer from satisfied to recommending.
What can go wrong when you read a brand NPS?
The biggest mistake is treating a brand NPS as an exact scoreboard instead of a snapshot. A few habits cause most of the errors.
- Comparing across studies: A 49 from one study and a 50 from another are not directly comparable.
- Ignoring passives: Almost one in four Costco grocery respondents is a passive, according to QuestionPro’s data. That group can move toward promoters or detractors.
- Skipping the why: A score tells you where you stand. Only open-text feedback tells you what to fix.
- Assuming a high score is permanent: Costco raised U.S. and Canada fees effective September 1, 2024, per its annual report. Renewals held at 92.3%, but loyalty still needs regular checks.
- Forgetting who answers: Member surveys reach people who already pay to shop. Non-members and lapsed members may feel differently.
Step-by-step guide to measuring NPS like Costco
To measure NPS well, ask the 0 to 10 question, add an open-text follow-up, and segment the results. Then act on detractors quickly. These five steps work for retailers and any other business.
- Ask the standard question: A ready-made NPS survey template keeps the wording consistent.
- Add one open-text why: Ask what drove the score.
- Segment the results: Split by location, channel and customer tenure.
- Close the loop: Contact detractors within days and track what you fix.
- Track quarterly: Compare your score with peers in the same industry, not with every brand.
Where QuestionPro fits
Teams that want scores and reasons in one place can use QuestionPro Customer Experience to collect feedback across touchpoints. The AskWhy question pairs the 0 to 10 score with a root-cause prompt and comment box. That shows the reason behind each score without a second survey.
What Costco’s score teaches any business
Costco’s NPS shows that loyalty follows consistency. Clear pricing rules, honest treatment and a model built around members produce promoters year after year.
Your business does not need a warehouse club budget to copy the habit. Measure the score, ask why, fix what detractors name and repeat every quarter. A high NPS is the result of that routine, not a one-time win.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
No. NPS measures willingness to recommend on a -100 to +100 scale. ACSI measures satisfaction on a 0 to 100 index. Costco scores 49 on the first and 81 on the second, so each number answers a different question.
Costco’s earnings releases highlight membership renewal rates and paid member counts rather than an NPS. Published Costco NPS figures therefore come from third-party studies, which is why scores vary by source, sample and year.
There is no single rule, but small samples swing widely. QuestionPro’s benchmark used 1,000 U.S. participants. For one store or segment, collect enough responses that a single angry reply cannot move the score.
Most retailers run a relationship survey each quarter and a short transactional survey after key moments, such as a purchase or support call. Quarterly tracking also matches how QuestionPro refreshes its benchmark research.
Costco isn’t the only company in the grocery retail industry with valuable lessons for those looking to improve their customer service and experience. Below, we recommend a few articles where you can learn how other major brands manage to maintain a high NPS and a loyal customer base — you’ll surely find some useful insights along the way.
