The mysterious companies behind Costco's Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe's O's

[dalton99a]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/06/business/costco-kirkland-signature-trader-joes-store-brands/index.html

The mysterious companies behind Costco's Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe's O's
By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business
Updated 4:59 AM ET, Sat August 6, 2022

...

As prices surge, store brands -- also known as private labels, white labels or generic brands -- have become an even more attractive option for inflation-fatigued shoppers who are looking to switch from pricier name brands. Store brands can be anywhere from 10% to 50% cheaper.

Retailers aren't typically forthcoming about the companies that make their brands. And manufacturers, likewise, have little incentive to reveal that they're creating similar products to their name brands under a different label sold on the cheap.

But there are some exceptions. Kimberly-Clark (KMB), the maker of Huggies diapers, produces Kirkland Signature diapers for Costco and Duracell produces Kirkland Signature batteries, Costco (COST) executives have said.

Georgia-Pacific, the maker of Brawny and Dixie, also produces store brands. So does Henkel (HENKY), the manufacturer of Purex and Dial.

Private brands often carry profit margins that are 20% to 40% higher than national brands because stores don't have to pay the advertising, distribution or other markup costs that are embedded in major brands' prices.

[Novara]

1. I often compare labels

If they appear to be manufactured in the same locality as a name brand, I assume there aren't two different plants there manufacturing the same thing, and the item is likely a cheaper brand of the same name-brand thing.

But sometimes the no-brand item really is crap. It can be hit-or-miss.

[FalloutShelter]

4. Nothing new...

Many years ago… 80s? My
Mom was a manager of a Pathmark Supermarket and told me that all of the store brands were manufactured by the “big name” brands.
Also… pro tip… all of the shelf stock at eye level Is the most expensive.

[sunflowerseed]

6. I don't believe that is true

In the Toy isle, the prices at my eye level are 10$ to 12$ and at my sons eye level they r 24$ to 44$

[FalloutShelter]

10. Ha! I see why you did there.

[Freddie]

12. I read somewhere that store brand pet foods are made in China

Where they have had issues with contamination, so my spoiled boys will get Fancy Feast. Besides, they wouldn’t lower themselves to eat a no-name product anyway.

[CrispyQ]

16. Do they demand that you serve their FF in a crystal goblet, too?

Just kidding. My girl will only eat FF fish varieties.

[Freddie]

18. Thankfully, paper plates are fine

Years ago you could send away to Fancy Feast to get one of those crystal dishes (in plastic). I use it to serve dip.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

20. A few years ago Kirkland dog food was the highest ranked

By Consumer Reports. Scored better than boutique brands like Blue Buffalo. But only the regular adult food- senior and puppy didn’t do as well

[Freddie]

21. How is their cat food?

I don’t live anywhere near a Costco ☹️

[DenaliDemocrat]

27. Blue Buffalo is shit too

But they market well. The amount of recalls on their food is insane.

So, I raise and breed very good working dogs and play in the games. There are only about 5 companies that have their own QC lab and do feeding trials.

Purina (Pro Plan is the best)
Eukanuba
Royal Canine
Science Diet
Canidae

The guys I run with all feed these brands.

[DenaliDemocrat]

26. I'd feel guilty feeding that to barn mice

You’re much better off feeding ProPlan if you want quality. Beneful is the same hot mess for dogs. People think it’s good food - it’s not.

[marble falls]

2. What's the scary part?

[Scrivener7]

3. I remember a couple of years ago there was an expose about the fact that most extra virgin

olive oils on the market are not really extra virgin olive oil. This was true up and down the price spectrum. Most were either late presses or mixtures of olive oil and other oils, or just other oils.

Kirkland was one of the ONLY brands that was truly extra virgin olive oil.

Fancy that!

[haele]

24. Look for brands with olive oil from California.

Those tend to be 100% olive oil.
As it is, I've found that Extra Virgin Olive Oil doesn't really make much of a difference in cooking, and I actually prefer the taste of a normal (non-EVOO) olive oil in salad dressing.
I'm not sure but that the term "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" is really just a marketing term - " hey, we don't have to spend extra time fully processing our raw oil so it can last longer than 3 months and call it something special to sell to Americans".

Haele

[SeattleVet]

25. EVOO is best used as a seasoning/flavor after cooking...

cook in the extra light or a blend, and drizzle a little EVOO on afterwards.

At least, that's what my Italian grandmother told me.

[Zeitghost]

28. Yep

EVOO has a very low smoke point. You can use it to cook, but need to keep the temps down.

[Irish_Dem]

5. Same with Kroger's signature premium labels.

They contract out to the big brand name manufactures to make Kroger high end private labels.
Some of the products are the best there is, others not so much.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

9. I heard a while ago that Kirkland vodka is Harry Goose

I want to know who makes the 25-year single malt.

[samnsara]

14. yes ive heard that..always at the top of my list when we go there..

[dalton99a]

15. Grey Goose denied making it. Costco had no comment.

The rumors that Costco's Kirkland Signature Vodka and Grey Goose have more in common than you'd think have been floating around for some time, and the alcohol research site Under the Label puts Grey Goose and Kirkland Signature Vodka head to head for a moment of reckoning. Comparing aggregate rankings from prestigious booze industry competitions where spirits are graded by blind taste testing, Kirkland scores an 88 to Grey Goose's 82. The comparison also includes the tasty tidbit that both vodkas source water from the Gensac Springs in France's Cognac region.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/78mevb/why-costcos-vodka-may-be-your-best-bet

[mopinko]

7. i believe nda's are standard in these contracts.

worked at a contract packer 40 yrs ago. it was the industry standard back then.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. May be true but not universally applicable criteria

There are house brands which are inferior, or manufacturers that put inferior components in off-brand products. I had a washing machine controller that failed just after warranty, and I hadn't purchased the extended warranty anyway. The replacement part was mucho $$$, but it was fundamentally redesigned from the original. 35 years later it's still working.

You can buy a store brand chainsaw and it may be 15% less than the manufacturer brand sold through a dealer. Outwardly the parts all look the same, but of a different color. But when you need service and parts, you'll need the dealer. The house brand will be on the junk heap. Like everything else, caveat emptor.

[Freddie]

11. That's why it's hard to boycott Koch and others

I always buy Giant brand paper products and who knows who makes them.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

13. Kirkland brands are very good.

Even some of the wines are very good as well.

Some of the National brands in the larger sizes are good buys, like the Bella Sun Luci sun dried tomatoes I use in Italian dishes and on salads.

I get a lot of the Kirkland brands like the Organic Extra Virgin Olive and Coconut oils, Balsamic vinegar, spices, White Albacore tuna, etc.

[Greybnk48]

17. We buy as much Kirkland as we can.

It's high quality, as a rule. The only thing we didn't care for, so far, was their salsa.

[Hotler]

19. If you enjoy sipping tequila, try the Kirland Anejo, full litre bottle $21.00

Great taste, lots of flavor and a smoothness, a smoking deal.

[vanlassie]

22. Aldi is largely major brands in similar packaging.

MUCH less expensive.

[niyad]

23. Nothing new here.

[Zeitghost]

29. Store brands are often made at the same plants as name brands

But not always with the same high quality ingredients. They're "just as good" in the sense that they are safe and consistent, but they don't always taste or work as good.

That said, the Kirkland branded stuff at Costco is always top notch.