Rather than building a traditional e-commerce platform, Costco focuses its online efforts on big-and-bulky items (sheds, fridges, water heaters) through its Costco Logistics division, and runs CostcoNext.com — a portal where members can shop partner sites and apply their Costco number for discounts, effectively functioning as a Rakuten for Costco members. Both approaches extend Costco's value proposition online without replicating Amazon's model.