The Iconic Brand Behind Costco's Chocolate

The nuts are out of the bag, and Costco's efforts are, indeed, sustainable.

Let's backtrack for a moment: the brand behind Kirkland's milk chocolate almonds is the Blommer Chocolate Company. This revelation came to light through the 2013 issue of The Costco Connection magazine. Costco collaborated with Blommer Chocolate Company to establish a partnership with local farmers, aiming to create a more sustainable product. Recognizing that 70% of the world's cocoa originates from West Africa, Costco understood the necessity of reevaluating cocoa production methods.

Additionally, Blommer Chocolate Company sustainably sources its cocoa from the Ivory Coast, with a program they developed with Costco. It's configured up of 15 cocoa-bean farming cooperatives, including over 5,000 farmers. With a strong focus on traceability, the program has a detailed process to track the origins. You can find Blommer Chocolate Company mixing everything up from chocolate-covered nuts to chocolate liquor and even cocoa butter, which is vegetable fat made from cocoa beans, and it can be used in anything from lotions to baking and even cooking.

Furthermore, Costco emerges as an early trailblazer in challenging conventional notions of sustainability. This groundbreaking approach paves the way for more ecologically friendly methods of cocoa production, such as shade-grown agroforestry. This technique involves cultivating cocoa amidst diverse trees and crops, reducing deforestation. All that makes this our favorite nut we've cracked yet.

Costco's Kirkland brand utilizes private labeling for several reasons that contribute to its business strategy and customer value proposition. Private labeling allows Costco to offer high-quality products under its own brand name, which often provides better control over the manufacturing and sourcing process. This enables them to maintain strict quality standards and offer products at competitive prices.

Additionally, using private brands can help Costco differentiate itself from competitors, fostering customer loyalty and trust. By offering products exclusively under the Kirkland brand, Costco can create a unique shopping experience and enhance its value proposition, ultimately benefiting both the company and its customers. Costco's brand loyalty is so popular they even have a cult following with #CostcoFinds receiving millions of views alone on TikTok.

The fact that Costco's Kirkland Signature brand became a multi-billion dollar business and many of Kirkland's items are actually brand names in disguise is the best thing since sliced pizza. According to CNN, Kirkland private brands sell for about 20% less when bought at Costco. With deals that good we'd try to keep it a secret too. If you want to know more Costco's Kirkland brand, we've got you covered.