OTTAWA -- Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco Wholesale Corp., is seeking to open more gas stationscalled gas bars thereat its warehouse club locations nationwide, reported the CanWest News Service.
The venture is not a surprise, given that many of Ottawa-based Costco Canada's indirect competitors such as Canadian Tire, Loblaw, and Wal-Mart have opened them in the past few years, said the report. Costco Canada currently operates three gas bars.
Costco in the United States sells gasoline at [image-nocss] many locations.
The club has 6.4 million members in Canada and trails only Loblaw Cos., Wal-Mart Canada Corp. and Empire Co. (the owner of the Sobeys grocery chain) in sales, the report said. It is opening its 65th Canadian store next week.
The company also wants to start selling travel, wine and spirits (available in Quebec and soon in Alberta) and automobiles, said the report.
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