6 Name-Brand Items You Should Always Buy at Costco

At Costco, you probably have become accustomed to seeing in-house brands like Kirkland all over the store. That’s because Kirkland Signature, started by Costco in 1995, was meant to be the brand that was carried in the giant retailer which could be high-quality products sold at a budget-friendly prices.

And for nearly 30 years, it has become a household name associated with Costco. That, however, does not mean that name brand items do not exist on the shelves of Costco.

“Costco offers a ton of name-brand items at a deep discount, but true to the Big Box formula, they usually come in much larger quantities than you’d get elsewhere,” said Ashley Schuering, food blogger and freelance writer at Confessions of a Grocery Addict.

“As long as you have proper storage, though, it can save you tons of money in the long term,” she said. “Make sure you stay up-to-date with their mailers — you can find awesome deals with $5 (or more) off staple items at least once a year.”

GOBankingRates asked Schuering and other fans of the store for the name-brand items you should always buy at Costco.

For Schuering, snacks and candy that are available at other stores are also at Costco, but for a better price. This, according to Schuering, includes products from brands like Biscoff Loacker, Frito Lay, Doritos, Cheez-Its, Cheetos, Ruffles — many of which are on sale for 33 cents for a single-serving bag at Costco. 

Other brands on Schuering’s list:

• Skinny Pop (57 cents per single serve bag)
• Terra Veggie Chips
• Jerky (Pacific Gold, Jack’s Links, Golden Island, Country Archer, Think)
• Bobo’s sandwich bars & oat bites ($15.49 for 24 count)
• Nature Valley bars ($18 for 49 count)
• Belvita ($17.99 for 30 count)

“Whether you have a sweet tooth, want to pack treats for your kiddos, need to stock the snack bar for little league or simply want to stock up before Halloween, Costco is the place to do it. Kinder (50 cents for a two-pack of Bueno), Mars or Hershey’s ($22 for a 150- to 250-piece bag of fun size),” Schuering said.

Huggies, to be exact, even if the name-brand is hidden behind the generic one. No matter the name, when it comes to diapers, you do not want to skimp on quality, which is why Eric Sornoso, fan of Costco and co-founder of Meal Fan recommended getting Huggies diapers at Costco for approximately $34.49.

“Diapers are a regular purchase for parents with young children, so they are relatively expensive,” Sornoso explained. “However, by purchasing the diapers in bulk from Costco, the amount spent on each diaper is cut down.

“Huggies Plus Diapers are comfortable to use,” Sornos said. “Your baby will remain dry and so will your pocket, by extension.”

Schuering waxed poetically that if caffeine is your love language, Costco will be your muse. 

“You can find name-brand coffee in either whole beans, ground beans, instant coffee, K-cups or Nespresso pods (plus canned and jarred coffee drinks and refrigerated coffee) at Costco for much cheaper than most grocery stores,” Schuering said.

“For example, you can score Peet’s coffee and Starbucks coffee (for about) $7 to $8 a pound of whole beans, Lavazza $6 to $7 a pound of espresso, Dunkin’ Donuts $5 to $6.50 a pound, Folger’s $4 to $5 a pound, Nespresso pods less than 50 cents a piece, K-cups 33 cents a piece.”

She also noted that the beans and grounds usually come in a minimum of two pounds per bag, so customers need to “make sure have ample freezer space or a vacuum sealer to keep it fresh.”

“My husband loves protein bars for grab-and-go breakfasts, but when you buy them at most stores they can cost upwards of $2 apiece,” Schuering said.

At Costco, Schuering highlighted that customers can find the following:

• RX Bars
• FitCrunch
• Clif Bars
• PowerCrunch
• Think bars
• Kind Bars

“I eat a lot of vegetarian food to keep grocery costs low, so I like to put protein powder in my morning coffee,” Schuering said. “Depending on the week and whatever deal is going on, I’ll get Optimum Nutrition, Vital Proteins, Orgain, Further Foods, IsoPure or Premier Protein. I recently bought a 5.5-pound bag of Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Ice Cream whey protein for $50. You can’t beat that.”

Costco carries all the great brands you could want for electronics and appliances, such as Apple, Samsung, LG, GE, Dyson and Sony. 

“Not only can you get amazing deals — especially during holiday weekends,” Schuering said. “I got my LG refrigerator for almost $500 off the closest retail price last Labor Day and recently upgraded to an iPhone 15. Plus, that somehow lowered my monthly family plan by $5 a month and bundled with my internet, saving an additional $40 a month. But their customer service, warranties and return policies are much more lenient than other retailers.”

As an example, Schuering described how Costco automatically added a two-year warranty for any electronics versus most brands only offering one year. 

Costco carries skincare, haircare, toothbrushes, toothpaste, supplements, diapers, eye drops, razors and more at generally great prices in Schuering’s experience.

“I typically buy a pack of 10 to 12 Crest or Oral-B toothbrushes for about 60 to 75 cents apiece, Flamingo and Harry’s razor refills for $1 apiece, giant 34-ounce bottles of Shea Moisture shampoo and conditioner for $14 to 16 apiece, plus CeraVe or Cetaphil cream and cleaners and AmLactin moisturizer for an average of 20% less than regular grocery stores.”

Schuering reminded us that the Kirkland Signature brand is often a white label version of a more well-known brand. 

“Kirkland K-Cups are Green Mountain, Kirkland tuna is BumbleBee, jelly beans are Jelly Belly, frozen three berry blend is Townsend Farms, cranberry juice is Ocean Spray … Kirkland aluminum foil is Reynolds Wrap, big red cups are Chinet, carrot juice is Bolthouse Farms, batteries are Duracell, much of Kirkland coffee is Starbucks.”