Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Costco's Kirkland Products On Amazon

Finding a grocery bargain is key in today's economy, and huge retailers like Costco and Amazon tend to have the edge on pricing for life's essentials. Costco's homegrown Kirkland brand offers plenty of household staples at bargain prices, including baby wipes, laundry detergent, and packaged foods. Kirkland products can also be high quality as they're often produced behind the scenes by name brand companies. Surprisingly, many of these popular Costco products are also sold on Amazon, meaning you can get Kirkland-branded products delivered to your door with just a few clicks. But don't be fooled — you may end up paying more than you would buying at Costco directly. 

Take, for example, the Kirkland Signature 2-Ply Bath Tissue. Although not everyone loves this basic tissue, you can't beat the price at Costco, where, at time of writing, it's sold for $24.99 per pack of 30 rolls. Over on Amazon, however, that same toilet paper is available as a two-pack for $84.99, which works out to be over $17 more per pack. Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Liquid Laundry Detergent is another item with a big price differential on Amazon ($36.57) versus Costco ($21.49). And while Kirkland's 13-Gallon Kitchen Trash Bags sell for $33.99 for a box of 200 on Amazon, you'll find almost the same bags at Costco for only $19.99 per box of 200.

"Almost" is the key word here, as Amazon often sells Kirkland-branded items that are slightly different than those sold at Costco. So, if you're shopping for a super-specific Kirkland item, you may find it on Amazon when it's no longer available at Costco, or vice versa. Other items are priced closely at each retailer for exactly the same product, and occasionally a little cheaper at Amazon. For example, you'll save a dollar buying Kirkland Signature 2200 High Performance Furnace Filters (4 pack) on Amazon versus Costco. 

Ultimately, the price differentials, if any, are specific to the item you are buying; just don't assume you'll find the same bargain at each retailer. It's also worth knowing that prices change on Amazon all the time, so today's bargain could easily become tomorrow's rip-off.

Another factor to consider when deciding on where to buy your Kirkland items is membership fees. Both Costco and Amazon require memberships to get the best bargains. To shop at Costco at all, you'll need an annual membership, which starts at $65 per year. You don't have to be a member of Amazon to shop there, but Amazon Prime membership — currently $139 per year – will give you free shipping. You'll also get access to Prime Day, when you can stock up on household essentials with extra savings. Avoiding a trip to Costco can also be a budget saver, since you'll safe on fuel and won't be tempted by impulse buys. Also, remember that you can shop at Costco online. In many zip codes, the retailer offers delivery of its Kirkland products in as little as two days, for a small fee.