Walk into any superstore ( or even a steady - sized store ) , and you ’ll probably see at least a few different brand that are specific to that retail merchant . Walmart , for example , has Great Value for solid food products and Equate for toilet articles , among many other private labels in a change of categories . Costco , on the other hand , has only one : Kirkland Signature . Since it ’s used for everything from allergy medication to golf game balls , those two words are omnipresent inCostco ’s brick - and - mortar stores , and many longtime shopper are also fast fans of Kirkland Signature - branded products .
Costco co - founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal decide to get into the private recording label business back in the1990safter agnise that about one-half of the products in UK supermarkets were storage stain . But instead of diversify like Walmart and other stores , he wanted a undivided brand name — and he need to name itSeattle Signature .
Sinegal hadgottenhis big break in the jobber manufacture as an executive frailty president at Price Club , base in San Diego , California , and he decided to relocate his own newbie business toSeattleto avoid vie with his former employer .
" While I consider myself a Californian and we raise ( many ) people from California , there was a majuscule community of interests ( of people ) here and we were devote to outride in ( Washington ) , " SinegaltoldtheKirkland Reporter .
The secret recording label was mean to be a not - so - subtle nod to Costco ’s hometown . regrettably , asReader ’s Digestreports , “ Seattle ’s Signature ” did n’t get approval , so Sinegal buy the farm with “ Kirkland ’s Signature ” instead . That was also a testimonial to Costco ’s geographical history ; Kirkland is a small metropolis nor'-east of Seattle where Sinegal opened the 8th Costco warehouse . briefly after that , he relocate the corporate headquarters to Kirkland , too .
As far as we make love , the revere enterpriser was fine with changing the name . What he was n’t hunky-dory with was the prospect of raising the price on the $ 1.50 blistering dog and soda combo : When Costco chairman W. Craig Jelinek intimate it , Sinegalthreatened to kill him .
[ h / tReader ’s Digest ]
