Here Are the Real Brands Behind Costco’s Kirkland Label

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Ultra-Clean
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $11*
Verdict: Unconfirmed

For many busy families, laundry detergent can be an expensive addition to the grocery list. The more loads of washing you have to do, the more you have to pay out. Persil is a leading brand which entices many customers to stick to it, but don’t be fooled. 

Persil Laundry Detergent ©Rick3 | ©David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

Many have speculated for years that Costco’s Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean laundry detergent is made by the same company as Persil, Henkel. Through a complex series of mergers, it would seem that this could be true, but neither Costco nor Henkel has confirmed this. You can buy Ultra Clean for just $11 for over 100 washes. 

The average American family does between 8-10 washes per week according to The Spruce, so detergent costs can certainly add up. However, using Ultra Clean will only set you back $60 for the year going by those statistics, which doesn’t seem too bad when compared to big-name brands, Persil.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Diapers
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $0.16*
Verdict: Confirmed

Diapers are a must-have for anyone with kids, but it can be one of the most expensive products to buy. Newborn babies get through an estimated 8 to 12 diapers a day, so it’s a cupboard essential that needs topping up non-stop. Cheaper brands often get a bad rep as parents want to give their children “the best.” 

Huggies ©Faizal Ramli | ©David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

A pack of Kimberley-Clark’s Huggies Little Movers costs around $40 for 104 in other grocery stores, but mom and dad are missing a trick if they’re not shopping at Costco. Kirkland Signature are actually Huggies in disguise, only they’re $35.99 for 150.

Having a child is more expensive than most of us can ever realize, so saving cents is crucially important. Diapers are just one thing, but the more money you can claw back on items like this means you’re more likely to hit that college fund target before they turn 18!

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature (KS9) 9.0 Digital Hearing Instruments
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $1,499*
Verdict: Confirmed

For those hard of hearing, Costco provides a free of charge hearing test in their stores. This is a great way to entice customers to spend money on their own products while they’re at their appointment. Those making a purchase can also rest assured that they’re getting top quality. 

Sonova Hearing Aids © indiamart.com @Doctor Cliff, AuD / Youtube.com

Sonova produces Costco’s Kirkland Signature (KS9) 9.0 Digital Hearing Instruments. This was confirmed by the brand a couple of years ago as they are listed as the manufacturer on the leaflet. Walmart sells a pair of hearing aids for $600, but are they as good? Unlikely. 

According to the NIDCD, nearly 30 million Americans could benefit from a hearing aid but only a fraction of that number actually wears one. It could be down to the cost, or simply fear of the unknown. Kirkland’s Signature Hearing Aids are easy on the eye which certainly makes them more appealing.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Moisture Shampoo
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $9.99*
Verdict: Unconfirmed

Pureology has a good reputation as one of L’Oreal’s luxury lines of hair care. It’s an undeniably good product, but like most things on that end of the scale, it comes with a hefty price tag. Brand names especially love to hike the price up, because they know consumers will pay big bucks for the name.

Pureology Moisture Hair Care ©collabandcompany/Instagram | ©r/Costco/Reddit

Just one bottle of shampoo will set you back $27 at Albertsons’ Safeway while a shampoo/conditioner combo is over $60. A trip to Costco will save you almost $20. For just $9.99 you can get exactly the same product in exactly the same color bottle. It’s been tried and tested multiple times and no one can see the difference.

While the brand partnership may be unconfirmed, it doesn’t really matter either way. If L’Oreal aren’t in on the game then they’re missing a trick, as Costco is offering a quality product at just a fraction of the price. Given how similar they look, it’s hard to believe there isn’t some sort of connection.

Kirkland Name: Kirkman Signature Organic Greek Yogurt
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $3.80*
Verdict: Unconfirmed

Greek yogurt is a popular refrigerator staple, so it’s no surprise that there are multiple brands out there. Picking up a tub of Ehrmann’s from Kroger might be the easiest option for many, but it’s cheaper elsewhere – it’s just hidden in plain sight. 

Ehrmann Yogurt @minutritionist/@thekitchn/Pinterest

It’s likely that Costco’s Kirkland’s Organic Greek Yogurt is actually made by the same company behind such products as Yoginos and LACTO Zero. According to businessman Peter Cohan, the yogurt giant supplied numerous stores with the same products to trade under different names. Not only does Costco do it, but so do some other US retailers who know a deal when they see one.  

Most of us wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the brands in a blind taste test, so buying Costco’s version seems like a no-brainer. Do we need this to be confirmed if the product is still just as good anyway? Logic dictates otherwise when it comes to this!

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Reynolds Foil
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $5*
Verdict: Confirmed

Some brands disguise themselves to be completely swallowed whole by the Kirkland name. Sometimes the packaging is the same color or shape so it’s still recognizable to the consumer, but sometimes it’s changed altogether. Alternatively, Costco simply partners with some businesses and keeps packaging nearly the same. 

Reynolds Aluminum Foil ©David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com | ©cochaser.com

The New Zealand brand Reynolds is owned in part by Howmet. There is a much higher price if you’re buying the foil at Costco than if you were making a purchase elsewhere, but you get more for your money. Costco sells larger “foodservice” Reynolds foil which isn’t available in other stores. 

Aluminum foil is a kitchen staple in many homes, whether you use it professionally or just wrap sandwiches in it to take to work. The price can vary, but if you’re looking for more bang for your buck it makes sense to go the whole hog and pick up a large one at Costco.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $6*
Verdict: Confirmed

Partnerships can be lucrative for everyone involved, so Costco tries to seal the deal on as many as possible. A few years ago they shook hands with Acetum Balsamic Vinegar to produce a Kirkland-branded product called Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. The 100-year-old dressing is a big hit. 

Acetum Balsamic Vinegar @shopify/@thekitchn/Pinterest

Other stores like Amazon’s Whole Foods might market Acetum’s version, but they don’t have the same connection that Costco did. For just a few bucks customers can get the product that has Acetum’s name on it, in just a slightly different style of packaging. 

At $6 a pop, Costco’s version is much less pricey than Acetum which retails at Walmart at $16.12 for a small 8.5 ounces. This is an amazing deal and a wonderful partnership for consumers that love to cook up a storm in the kitchen without breaking the bank.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Espresso Blend
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $14.89*
Verdict: Confirmed

Starbucks is a gargantuan coffee chain. While their stores are popular, so are their take-home products, including their ground beans. Customers can get their hands on a 2 and a half-pound bag of Kirkland’s Espresso Blend “Custom roasted by Starbucks” for just $14.89. 

Starbucks Coffee @Edeka Gehrke/Facebook | ©eBay

Buying a similar product straight from the coffee house would cost you significantly more, which is why Costco struck gold with this one. It comes in medium roast, dark roast, and decaf medium roast to cater for all tastes. Buyers say it’s just as good and a fraction of the cost. 

This is another example of a partnership that’s mutually beneficial for both Costco and a big company like Starbucks. Costco gets to leverage the tried and tested Starbucks name, while the coffee chain also gets a slice of the pie. Or, in this case, a cup of the freshly-brewed java.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $0.71*
Verdict: Confirmed

Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice is the creme de la creme of juice drinks, but it can be pricey. However, if you hop over to Costco, you can pick up a 6-pack of their cranberry juice for a fraction of the price at other retailers.While it may be called Kirkland Signature Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice, it’s exactly the same product – just much cheaper.

Ocean Spray Juice ©calimedia | ©David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

For a pack of four Ocean Spray Juice Cocktail at Walmart it’s $11.92.  At Costco, a pack of six will set you back just $4.29, working out at around $0.71 per unit. It may have Kirkland Signature stamped above it, but this product still has the Ocean Spray branding so you know it’s just as good. 

It’s not uncommon for stores like Costco to partner up with big brands, but it’s pretty rare for them to mix their Kirkland label with the original brand names. This is a union that obviously works well for the businesses and the consumers, so everyone’s winning when it comes to this product.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Alkaline AA Batteries
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $16.99*
Verdict: Confirmed

Batteries are always handy to have lying around in the house, even in this digital age where most things are rechargeable. Thankfully, Costco has got us covered. Customers can purchase a 48-pack of Kirkland Signature Alkaline AA Batteries for just $16.99. Some cheap batteries can run out quickly, but these have the same power as Duracell. 

Duracell Batteries jadimages/shutterstock.com | @hip2save/Pinterest

Costco’s CEO Craig Jelinek let the cat out of the bag back in 2016 when he confirmed that Berkshire Hathaway’s Duracell was the manufacturer of the Kirkland brand. Considering a pack of 48 Duracell batteries will cost almost $10 more, it seems like a great deal. 

Consumers don’t want to pay more for a product that is exactly the same, no matter what the name on it is. Sometimes name brand items like batteries get a bad rep when they shouldn’t, just because there isn’t enough transparency about how – or where – they’re made.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Full Synthetic SAE 54-30
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $24.39*
Verdict: Confirmed

Motor oil can be a saturated market, leading many to just grab the nearest one they see and hope for the best. In reality, a lot of different brands are made by the same company. In Costco’s case, their oil is manufactured by Warren Oil.

Warren Motor Oil @Walmart / Pinterest.cm | David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

Warren also supposedly produces Amazon’s AmazonBasics motor oil. It’s confirmed in writing on the back of the jug, so we don’t need any more proof. The product sells well for Costco, which is unsurprising given the price tag. At just $24.39 for five quarts, it’s a bargain purchase that will last. 

Just make sure that you don’t let it linger in your garage forever. Even motor oil has a use-by date. Once opened, motor oil should be replaced every five years, no matter how much you’ve got left in the bottle. That being said, $24.39 every few years isn’t going to break the bank.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Chocolate
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $14.49*
Verdict: Confirmed

Chocolate is chocolate, no matter what name you put on it. However, just like many other food products, the better the ingredients the higher the quality! Kirkland’s Signature chocolate comes from the well-known brand, Blommer. Blommer is the largest chocolate supplier in North America, so a partnership between the two companies makes sense.

Blommer Chocolate @weddingcreativo/Pinterest | David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

While Costco does sell other brands like Hershey and Mars, their own brand is just as good.  Costco even helped set up a sustainability program for cocoa sourcing alongside Blommer, helping the industry flourish in a way that is beneficial to everyone involved. 

Kirkland’s Signature Chocolate comes in many forms, including milk chocolate caramel clusters of macadamia to plain dark, milk, and more. There’s something for every taste. When it’s this good you don’t have to feel quite as guilty about stocking up. It would be rude not to when everything is taken into account.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Small Dog
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $24.99*
Verdict: Unconfirmed

Pet owners like to think that feeding their four-legged friends expensive food makes a difference, but that isn’t always the case. Some cheaper brands, like Costco’s Kirkland Signature Small Dog, are even made by the same companies. Customers are just blissfully unaware.  

Diamond Naturals Dog Food @longviewmill/@Couple Minds Online Shop - Baguio & La Union Edition/Facebook

It’s likely that Schell and Kampeter Inc.’s Diamond Pet Foods is behind Costco’s brand. Although it’s never been confirmed, when there was a recall of Diamond’s dog food in 2012, the Kirkland brand was recalled too, with Costco even named in a subsequent lawsuit. 

If there was no link between them, that would never have happened. The companies may be staying quiet on the subject for now, but all evidence points to there being a link once, if not now. Many pet owners are more than happy with Kirkland Signature dog food for their four-legged friends.

Kirkland Name: Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano
Kirkland Price Per Unit: $11.89*
Verdict: Confirmed

Like many retailers, Costco sells a lot of different cheeses, but few are quite as good as their Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano. The hard cheese is imported from Italy, which is why it can hold the esteemed name and not simply be dubbed “Parmesan.” 

Formaggi Zanetti Parmigiano Reggiano Cineberg/The Image Party/Shutterstock.com

As it turns out, Costco sources their cheese through Formaggi Zanetti. Not only does Zanetti make cheese, but it specializes in sending it out around the world for other companies to sell. That way, profits stay up and customers stay happy – it’s a win-win. Both brands don’t look exactly the same, but the taste is very close.

Parmigiano can be used on anything from pizza to pasta and everything in between, so it’s a wise purchase. When you factor in the enticing $11.89 per unit cost compared to other brands pedaling the same product it’s clear Costco made the right move by partnering up with Formaggi.