Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) stands alone among major national retailers in the fact that it issues monthly sales updates in between its comprehensive quarterly announcements. This report doesn't tell investors anything about how well the company did in generating profits. It also contains no data on customer traffic trends or on key engagement metrics such as membership renewals.

But the report is still worth watching for its timely look at sales trends. Investors can sometimes spot early signs of shifting demand well before Costco announces its full quarterly update, too.

With that big picture in mind, let's look at the chain's January sales report that was published on Feb. 7. This update included good news around growth and some encouraging signs of increased cash flow on the way.

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Source Fool.com