Companies that Make Costco Brands

It wasn’t until there was a recall on Diamond Pet Foods that I learned that other companies were making Costco brands. You see, in that recall notice that Diamond put out, it included Costco’s Kirkland Signature dog food.

Who knew? Well, it turns out that Costco partners with well-known companies to make some of the most popular Kirkland Signature products it sells and other of its own brands.

Well-known names behind Costco Kirkland Signature brands

It’s not like Costco hides these partnerships from shoppers. Just take a look at the signage at your local Costco store or even on the Costco website.

Why it’s smart to buy store brands

This is good information to have. Why? Because savvy shoppers know creative ways to save money, such as shopping at thrift stores. Another popular money saver is buying store brands.

With prices on the rise, it’s one of the reasons that companies with private label products and the stores that sell them have reported double-digit growth for store brands. 

What’s so special about big names making products for Costco? Basically, you can buy the equivalent of brand-name items but at generic prices. And they’re worth it. When Nicole Weatherford of Everyday Thrifty compared Costco vs Walmart vs Aldi, Costco came out on top.

Here’s the lowdown on filling up at Costco gas stations.

Costco brands and products

The next time you’re in Costco, look for these Kirkland Signature brand products. Then, you can pat yourself on the back for knowing which company really made these Costco brands.

Starbucks makes Kirkland Signature coffee

When I was shopping at Costco and looking at buying coffee, I noticed the Starbucks coffee name. It was on the price tag on the shelf as well as the bag of Kirkland Signature House Blend coffee, as shown below.

Costco Kirkland Signature diapers

The Motley Fool cites a 2017 Wall Street Journal article about the manufacturer behind Costco Kirkland Signature diapers. And it is Kimberly-Clark, which makes Huggies diapers, among other consumer goods.

In case you didn’t know, Costco also sells Huggies. Not surprisingly, though, the Kirkland Signature brand is cheaper by about two cents per diaper. 

That might now seem like a lot of money. However, when you’re buying a pack of 200+ diapers in a single trip, that can add up. 

Parents Magazine says that a baby can go through up to 3,000 diapers in their first year. So, you do the math.

Costco tuna is Bumblebee

According to CNN, in 2003 Costco started selling Kirkland Signature brand tuna that is from Bumblebee. They continue to sell it today–even displaying it right next to brand-name Bumblebee tuna.

Kirkland Signature wipes

“My children have all had super sensitive skin as babies,” says Siobhan Borland of Mimosas and Motherhood, “and the Kirkland sensitive baby wipes are one of the few options that don’t irritate their skin.”

She wasn’t aware that another company, called Nice Pac, makes these wipes. That company also makes Costco flushable wipes and cleaning wipes.

They’re also responsible for Nice N Clean wipes and Grime Boss (sold at Home Depot). Plus, they’ve received awards for their work with Costco. 

Genuine Keurig K Cups

Speaking of coffee, you can buy Kirkland Signature coffee k cups in bulk and feel confident that they’ll work in your Keurig machine. That’s because Keurig is Costco’s partner in making these coffee pods.

That’s why it says, right on the box, “Keurig Genuine K Cup Pods.” FYI, Green Mountain Coffee owns the Keurig brand.

Here are tips on how to make cold brew coffee.

Kirkland Signature batteries via Duracell

Everyone I’ve talked to has told me that the Kirkland Signature brand batteries sold at Costco are actually Duracell batteries. The last time I was in my local warehouse, I picked up this package but couldn’t see any obvious mention of it, like Starbucks on the coffee beans.

Kirkland Signature organic granola

Nature’s Path Organic is responsible for making the Kirkland Signature Granola. You may have seen the brand in places other than Costco.

For example, you can buy Nature’s Path Organic at the following retailers as well:

• Amazon
• Target
• Walmart

Here are some low carb yet sweet breakfast recipes.

Stearns and Foster Costco mattresses

This article covers how often you should replace your mattress and mentions name-brand mattresses you can buy at Costco, including Casper and Tempurpedic. Costco sells them under their original brand names.

However, there is also a Kirkland Signature mattress to consider. Stearns and Fosters is the manufacturer.

Reynolds Wrap foil

When you pick up one of those mega-boxes of Kirkland Signature aluminum foil at Costco, take a closer look at the box. It says Reynolds Wrap foil right on the label.

Jelly Belly candy jelly beans

If you’re particular about your jelly bean brands, you don’t have to worry about buying the generic version at Costco. The Kirkland Signature brand is actually from Jelly Belly. 

This article on factory tours for families includes the Jelly Belly Factory in California.

Sunsweet prunes

When you buy Kirkland Signature dried plums, aka prunes, you’ll see that they’re made in conjunction with the Sunsweet brand.

PaperChef parchment paper

Another baking necessity is the Kirkland Signature parchment paper, which the PaperChef culinary company makes for Costco.

Big Red Cups by Chinet

You won’t find red solo cups at Costco. However, you will find something called the Big Red Cups from Kirkland Signature.

And right under the Kirkland Signature logo, you’ll see it says Chinet, the company that makes the cups on Costco’s behalf.

Ocean Spray cranberry juice

You’re not getting generic and perhaps iffy cranberry juice when you purchase the Kirkland Signature brand at Costco. That’s because, like the Chinet cups I just mentioned, you’ll see Ocean Spray right on the label, under the Kirkland name. So, you know who makes it.

Costco brand laundry products

There are rumors that the liquid laundry detergent in Kirkland Signature containers is Persil laundry detergent. That’s yet unconfirmed. 

Others, like Kim Rowley Lohrberg of the SavingK blog, have hypothesized that Costco dryer sheets were the same as Bounce. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support that either. 

Plus, the article “The Secret Weapon Behind Costco’s Success” explains why Procter and Gamble (which makes Bounce dryer sheets among other products) does not make Costco’s store brand diapers. 

It seems that P&G turned down Costco’s request way back when, because it is not in the business of doing private label deals. So, Kimberly-Clark got the gig instead.

This is all good information to have, as Costco continues to open more stores across the country, including the first Costco in Maine. Now that I’m living in Maine, I was so excited when it opened in late 2023.

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life