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Intriguing Marketing
Nov. 17th, 2009 09:01 pmSo this is not news, but it was to me. Like most large retailers, Costco Wholesale has its own private label - Kirkland Signature. We've been buying KS batteries and the like for years. But the last time I visited Costco , I dropped by their wine & spirits section, and was surprised to see Kirkland Signature Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
What a concept.
Well, normally you can't tell the manufacturer of a generic item - if it's a branded manufacturer, they omit their name because they don't want to dilute the brand, and if it's a non-branded manufacturer (like American Home Products, the largest producer of dozens of staple consumer goods), they don't put their name on the products either, because it won't tell anyone anything. But on closer inspection, the KS Single Malt bottle does say "18 years old, by Macallan / Sherry casks". For $60, it's not a bad deal, either.
At home I looked at another KS item, a large bag of chips, and it turned out that this was also a brand-name item. Curious - Costco is remaking the generics business.
What a concept.
Well, normally you can't tell the manufacturer of a generic item - if it's a branded manufacturer, they omit their name because they don't want to dilute the brand, and if it's a non-branded manufacturer (like American Home Products, the largest producer of dozens of staple consumer goods), they don't put their name on the products either, because it won't tell anyone anything. But on closer inspection, the KS Single Malt bottle does say "18 years old, by Macallan / Sherry casks". For $60, it's not a bad deal, either.
At home I looked at another KS item, a large bag of chips, and it turned out that this was also a brand-name item. Curious - Costco is remaking the generics business.
