Here's Where You Can Buy Kirkland Signature Products If You're Not A Costco Member

Costco is justifiably famous for keeping its prices lower than most other retailers, but of course, there's a big catch. If you don't have a membership, forget snagging those incredible bargains. Well, good news, now you can. Hundreds of Costco's Kirkland Signature brands, like its must-have whole bean coffee or its absolute best snack bars, can be snatched up on its major e-commerce competitor Amazon. There's even a Kirkland Signature store page on Amazon, where you can purchase groceries, household supplies, clothing, health supplements, and in its own separate category, hair-loss products. It's a bit of a head scratcher to figure out why Costco would sell Kirkland products on its major e-commerce competitor, since at one time, Amazon sold more Kirkland products online than Costco did. As it turns out, though, they're not.

Although Costco isn't technically a wholesaler, a business membership does allow the member to purchase products and re-sell them on Amazon. It's an apparently legal practice called "retail arbitrage" that Trader Joe's has been battling for years when it was revealed that an enterprising couple brought in a whopping $30,000 of extra income by reselling cases of the company's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning on Amazon. Similarly, the Kirkland Signature products on Amazon are being sold by third-party sellers, and they're not doing so out of the goodness of their hearts. They're out to make a profit, which can substantially decrease the cost-savings for consumers.

You may not have a Costco where you live, or you might forego purchasing a membership since Costco is increasing its membership dues for the first time since 2017, so purchasing Kirkland products on Amazon may seem like a great money-saving option. You won't find the big-ticket items, like the latest electronics, but you could stock up on paper towels, toilet tissue, and tons of pantry items. However, before you start clicking stuff into your Amazon shopping cart, compare Amazon's prices for Kirkland products with those listed on Costco's website first.

For example, when you search on Amazon for Kirkland Signature paper towels, you'll find a number of options, ranging in price from $37.90 to $49.95 for a 12-roll pack. Jump over to Costco.com, and the same paper towels go for much less at $22.99. On the other hand, Costco sells its Kirkland's mixed nuts for $14.99 plus a $3.00 delivery charge, while on Amazon, they're a dollar cheaper. Bear in mind, though, that when you're buying Kirkland food or health supplements from Amazon, you won't know when the third-party seller purchased the item, so it could be past its expiration date. But if you have the time and patience to research whether or not Kirkland Signature products are better priced on Amazon than at Costco, the savings could be worth your effort.