Here’s the thing. You walk past the cereal aisle, you pick up that familiar box with the cheerful mascot. Then you glance one shelf down and see basically the same thing for half the price. Something feels off, doesn’t it? Like you’re being tricked somehow.
The truth might surprise you, though. Many in-house brands are actually nationally known brands, and it’s the same product except some packages get the premium brand packaging while others get the store brand packaging. Private label sales across all U.S. retail outlets recently hit record highs of $271 billion in 2024, up nearly 4% from the year prior.
Kirkland Signature Diapers Are Made by Huggies
Costco finance chief Richard Galanti revealed that Costco’s Kirkland Signature diapers are made by Kimberly-Clark, manufacturer of Huggies, and the company has been doing so since 2005. Think about that for a second. The exact same company producing those familiar Huggies packages is also cranking out the Kirkland versions sitting right next to them. Kirkland Signature diapers remain much cheaper than the Huggies alternatives, though they also have a more flexible waistband and more mobile tabs than Huggies diapers.
Parents know how expensive diapers can get. Costco sells its diapers for $0.18 per diaper while Costco sells Huggies for $0.24 per diaper. That adds up fast when you’re changing multiple diapers a day. The quality doesn’t suffer, either.
Costco’s Tuna Comes From Bumble Bee
Kirkland Signature tuna is made by Bumble Bee, and honestly, this one shouldn’t shock anyone who pays attention to the quality. Costco partnered with Bumble Bee to pack a firmer, less-watery tuna so members don’t feel like they’re buying cat food, and shoppers are big fans. I’ve tried both, and the texture difference between cheap tuna and this stuff is night and day.
Kirkland’s albacore comes in an 8-pack that’s roughly 15% to 25% less per can compared to Bumble Bee albacore at a regular supermarket. The cans look different, the labels are different, but crack them open and you’re getting the same solid white albacore packed by the same seafood company.
Your Morning Coffee Could Be Roasted by Starbucks
Coffee snobs might want to sit down for this one. When the Kirkland House Blend bag says “Custom Roasted by Starbucks,” Costco is basically saying Starbucks roasted these coffee beans for them, and it’s 20 to 30% less per pound than Starbucks coffee that doesn’t have the word Kirkland on it. Let’s be real, most of us can’t tell the difference in a blind taste test anyway.
Packages of Kirkland’s coffee used to say they’re roasted by Starbucks Coffee Company, though since 2023 and 2024 some packaging has changed to remove that wording, and some Kirkland coffee is still roasted by Starbucks while others may come from brands like Green Mountain and San Francisco Bay Coffee. Either way, you’re getting quality beans without paying for the green mermaid logo.
Store Brand Cereal Often Shares Production Lines
Kroger Brand Cereal is manufactured by General Mills and Kellogg’s. Read that again. The companies behind Cheerios and Frosted Flakes are literally making the knockoff versions you see in plain boxes. A production facility worker revealed they make the main name brand as well as other brands such as Kirkland, Great Value, and Aldi’s brand, and the same equipment and materials are used for all products with only the packaging materials changing.
The recipes might differ slightly in some cases. Generic foods generally represent a cost savings of anywhere from 25% to 30% over their name-brand counterpart. Still, when you’re pouring milk over those oat circles, most people genuinely cannot distinguish one from the other.
Aluminum Foil With Reynolds Written Right on the Box
This one doesn’t even try to hide it. Costco and Reynolds are working together for the Kirkland Signature aluminum foil, popping the Reynolds logo right next to the Kirkland Signature one. If you squint at the packaging, you’ll see Reynolds stamped there in plain sight. The price per square foot for Costco’s heavy-duty brand is $0.05 compared to Reynolds at $0.07.
The manufacturer of Reynolds Wrap also manufactures store brands, according to Consumer Credit Counseling services. It’s not like some sketchy factory in an undisclosed location is pumping these out. Same roll, same metal, different box.
Batteries Powered by Duracell
Kirkland Signature Batteries are made by Duracell according to an interview with the CEO of Costco. The pink bunny might not be on the package, but the power inside is identical. Duracell is behind Kirkland batteries, which is why they have that little extra oomph, and Duracell is known for lasting longer than typical batteries.
Batteries are one of those things where brand loyalty seems pointless once you know the truth. In a 2016 interview with Atlanta station WSB-TV, Costco CEO Craig Jelinek revealed that Duracell is the manufacturer of Kirkland Signature Batteries. You’re literally buying Duracell batteries in a different package and saving money. No brainer.
Whole Foods Ketchup Rivals Heinz
The 365 line at Whole Foods dispels the myth that quality is worth the price with a pretty fantastic ketchup of its own, and the Whole Foods version holds a 4.6-star score on Amazon, practically neck-to-neck with Heinz’s rating of 4.8. Ketchup is basically tomatoes, vinegar, and sugar anyway. How different can it really be?
Whole Foods only charges $3.19 for a 32-ounce bottle of their off-brand ketchup while for the brand version you would be paying two dollars or more extra at Target or Walmart. One reviewer noted it’s the go-to ketchup in their household. It’s just tomato sauce with seasoning, people. Don’t overthink it.
Milk Is Milk, No Matter Whose Name Is on the Jug
There are no brand-name cows, and the udders supplying milk to Borden are no different from the udders Kroger is milking, so save some dough and buy the store-brand jug because it’s the same stuff inside. This one always makes me laugh. Cows don’t know what company they’re working for.
Some grocery store chains own their own bakery and dairy, and the store milk and the brand name milk are the same but the store brand costs $1 less. A dollar here, a dollar there, and suddenly your grocery bill looks manageable again. The regulations for milk production are strict across the board, so quality doesn’t vary much.
Next time you’re standing in the grocery aisle staring at two nearly identical products, remember this. U.S. consumers save more than $40 billion a year on grocery and household purchases by opting for the store brand over the national brand version. The packaging might look less flashy, but what’s inside is often manufactured by the same companies making the fancy stuff. Your wallet will thank you, and your taste buds probably won’t even notice the difference. Did you expect that level of overlap between generic and name brands?
