ALERT: Many of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Products Are Available on Amazon
Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand is popular for a reason: It’s inexpensive, but still high-quality. Kirkland Signature products are a big part of why Costco is so universally beloved, but not everyone is lucky enough to know the pleasure of buying Kirkland almond butter and applesauce in bulk. Maybe you aren’t a member, or your car simply isn’t big enough to transport hundreds of rolls of paper towels and barrels of snacking peanuts. Or maybe there isn’t a Costco in your area.
Well, good news for everyone out there who has been eager to sample all of the goodness Kirkland Signature has to offer: Some of the brand’s products are now available on Amazon.
A recent article from Quartz found that the products you once thought you could only buy in-store are actually available on Amazon. And there’s a huge selection, too: You’ll find Kirkland Signature vitamins, olive oil, coffee, and even quinoa. Sound too good to be true? It might be, because there’s a big caveat to this otherwise good news: Kirkland Signature products for sale on Amazon are far more expensive, when compared to the prices on the Costco website. For instance, Quartz reports that “2-liter bottle of Kirkland-brand olive oil costs $22.99.” On the Costco website, the same product costs about $17.
So how did Kirkland products end up on Amazon? The process is probably similar to retail arbitrage, which recently caused a dust-up with Trader Joe’s. The products are legitimately purchased in store, and then people post and re-sell them on Amazon at a higher price. It’s unclear if Costco sanctions this practice.
While Amazon does offer the convenience of buying some Kirkland Signature products from the comfort of your couch, you really can’t beat the full experience of stepping into a brick-and-mortar Costco. The giant lobster claws should be enough to warrant a visit, but of course there’s the food court to consider, too, which has its own sparkling reputation. You might be able to stock up on Kirkland Signature boxer briefs on Amazon, but the internet can’t make you a hotdog.