Buffett often talks about how bullish he is on America's economy. Owning the giant retailer Wal-Mart (WMT) is clearly his bet on the consumer.
But it's not paying off so far this year. Wal-Mart's stock is the fourth-worst performer in the Dow.
Related: Is Costco America's top retailer?
Consumer spending has been sluggish this year. But that's not the company's only problem. Target (TGT) seems revitalized now that its data breach is behind it and it has a new CEO.
Costco is also an extremely tough rival -- for both the core Wal-Mart stores as well as the Sam's Club warehouse outlets.
Berkshire does own a small stake in Costco (COST). But if Buffett really wants to mirror what consumers are doing, maybe he should consider selling some Wal-Mart and adding more Costco?
