The Big-Name Brand That's Quietly Behind Costco's Kirkland Batteries

There are numerous must-know Costco secrets and hacks that can save you time and money. They range from what the "death star" symbol means on price signs to which companies produce merchandise for the budget-friendly house brand Kirkland Signature. The source of certain Kirkland Signature products — say, the House Blend Coffee, which is roasted by Starbucks — is printed on the packaging, while the origins of others are well-kept secrets, which has led to speculation from warehouse-store shoppers and TikTok content creators. Then there are the products whose makers are more of an open secret, as is the case with Kirkland Signature batteries. Craig Jelinek, Costco's former CEO, told an Atlanta-area TV station in 2016 that Duracell produces these batteries. Though Costco could have switched suppliers since then, it's unlikely since Duracell and Kirkland are the only two battery brands the retailer carries. 

So, why should consumers care if Duracell-made batteries are being sold as Kirkland Signature batteries? A couple of reasons. Most importantly, it indicates that Kirkland Signature batteries are likely to resemble those produced by a well-known company many customers and professional reviewers associate with high quality. Kirkland Signature's AA and AAA batteries don't possess the copper-top design most Duracell batteries have, but like their Duracell cousins, they're alkaline batteries with a 12-year shelf life. 

There's another difference worth noting, too. On the Costco website, descriptions of Duracell's AA and AAA batteries tout a trademarked ingredient combo dubbed POWER BOOST, which Duracell's United Kingdom website describes as a technology designed to deliver "better performance on devices with high energy demands." This feature isn't listed in Costco's descriptions of Kirkland batteries. 

In addition to signaling quality and reliability, the fact that Kirkland Signature batteries are made by Duracell suggests that they're a good deal. That's because Kirkland batteries cost less than comparable Duracell products. If you take the time to calculate the per-battery price, you'll find that Kirkland's AA and AAA batteries tend to cost 25 to 35 percent less than their Duracell counterparts in the same shopping aisle. For example, if no special sales are happening, you can get 48 of the Kirkland Signature Alkaline AAA Batteries for $15.99 or 40 of the Duracell Coppertop AAA batteries for $19.99. That's a savings of about 17 cents per battery if you opt for the Kirkland-branded package. Buy two packages and you'll save more than enough to pay for the Costco food court's famous $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combo. The cost savings is even greater if you consider that some other retailers sell Duracell batteries for higher prices than Costco does.

If you're searching for Kirkland Signature offerings beyond AAs and AAAs, you're out of luck. When shopping for other types of batteries at Costco, you'll have to go with Duracell. It's the only brand available for C and D alkaline batteries, 9V batteries, and 2032 lithium coin batteries. Keep an eye out for "instant savings" deals in the store flyer, which sometimes bring down the prices of these products and make Costco one of the most affordable places to stock up on household essentials.