“What’s in a name?” It’s a question William Shakespeare has had us pondering for a long, long time. But today, we know the answer: A lot. Taco Bell and its cheesy street chalupas might still be relatively cheap and delicious, but if the fast food chain went by another name, it might not have the same vibe or appeal. The same is true of Costco’s signature Kirkland brand. We love Kirkland Signature brand paper towels, aluminum foil, and coffee pods, but if things had gone slightly different for this mammoth warehouse retailer when it came to naming their private label, we might be calling them Seattle Signature.
Items sold under the Kirkland Signature brand are hugely popular. In 2021 alone, Kirkland products brought in a whopping $58 billion in sales; however, Costco didn’t originally have an umbrella private label, but rather 30 different private labels. It included Nutra Nuggets for dogs, Simply Soda, and Chelsea toilet paper. Costco’s CEO, Jim Sinegal changed all that after reading about how consumers preferred house brands.
It was a trademark issue
Sinegal saw an opportunity for Costco to create a singular private brand that gave members a price break and quality at the same time. The retailer could partner with the likes of Reynold’s and Starbucks, hence why Costco’s Kirkland brand isn’t just a cheap knockoff. When it came to naming this private brand, he asked his staff for input. Seattle Signature was up for consideration as a nod to their first location, but they could not secure the trademark. Still, another employee offered the Kirkland Signature name as an homage to their headquarters in Washington State, and it both stuck and could be trademarked.
Today, the Kirkland Signature brand remains a beloved label for store members. Consumers flock to their preferred location to purchase Costco Kirkland brand frozen meals, bottles of popular liquor sold under this line, detergents, rotisserie chicken, cashews, and so much more. Why? Because at the end of the day, a Kirkland product by any other name wouldn’t be the same.
