Analyze and compare Costco, Wal$-$Mart, and Nordstrom

The general merchandise retail industry has a number of segments represented by the following companies:

Company Name

Merchandise Concept

Costco Wholesale Corporation $($COST$)$ Membership warehouse

Wal$-$Mart Stores, Inc. $($WMT$)$

Discount general merchandise

Nordstrom, Inc. $($JWN$)$

Fashion department store

For a recent year, the following cost of goods sold and beginning and ending inventories are provided from corporate annual reports $($in millions$)$ for these three companies:

$\backslash$table$[[,$Costco,Wal$-$Mart,Nordstrom$],[$Cost of goods sold,$$102,901,$$$360,984,$$$9,168$