If you currently own a 12-pack of bath tissue, a 150-count bag of laundry pods, and/or a 48-oz jar of cashews, chances are they all have the same label: Kirkland Signature. Costco debuted this private-label brand—aka ‘store brand’—in 1995 and since then, it’s become a sales-driving juggernaut. Kirkland products now account for a quarter of Costco’s total sales, from coffee and batteries to their famous rotisserie chickens and $1.50 hot dogs. But don’t you dare call Kirkland “generic”, the brand has built up a rep for high-quality products and a cult-like following from all walks of life. (Kirkland Tequila as status symbol? Believe it.) Learn how a retail legend named Sol Price fought off Walmart to make the world’s most perfect shoppers’ club, why the mere suggestion to raise the hot dog price resulted in a death threat, and why Costco’s Kirkland is the best idea yet.
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