Why Costco Went All in on Kirkland — and How It Paid Off | WSJ Case Study

这份案例研究考察了好市多（Costco）的柯克兰（Kirkland Signature）品牌如何通过挑战传统观念颠覆了大型零售行业。最初，好市多成立于1983年，专注于以高销量销售精选的名牌商品。然而，随着品牌价格上涨，好市多联合创始人吉姆·西内克（Jim Sinekl）看到了机会，即欧洲消费者越来越青睐自有品牌，也就是商店自主生产的产品。他认为好市多可以利用较低的制造成本来提供更好的价值。 好市多名牌商品的利润率被限制在14%，而自有品牌则允许更高的利润率。最初的方法是创建许多自有品牌，如Chelsea、Cloud和Traditions，但事实证明，即使在组织内部，这也会造成混乱。一位仓库经理无法将一件产品识别为属于好市多的自有品牌之一，这引发了一个认识：分散的品牌削弱了它们的影响力。 将所有自有品牌整合到一个品牌——柯克兰（Kirkland Signature）——下的决定是一个大胆的举动，它违背了按产品类型细分自有品牌以降低风险的行业惯例。零售商担心，单一品牌下的某个产品的负面体验可能会对该品牌下的所有产品的认知产生负面影响。然而，好市多的领导层看到了统一品牌形象的潜在好处。“柯克兰”这个名字的由来是因为好市多的总部当时位于华盛顿州柯克兰（即使后来搬到了伊瑟阔）。 柯克兰（Kirkland Signature）品牌逐步推出，最初是洗发水和维生素等产品。今天，它涵盖了各种类别的350多种产品，坚持了好市多精选商品的原则。这种有限SKU（库存单位）的环境在供应商之间产生了激烈的竞争，因为一款新的柯克兰产品可以直接影响供应商的销售额和货架空间。柯克兰（Kirkland Signature）成为一个强大的谈判工具，使好市多能够对供应商施加压力。 一个典型的例子是柯克兰尿布。好市多与宝洁（帮宝适）和金佰利（好奇）公司联系，希望它们制造柯克兰尿布。金佰利提供了最好的交易，从而达成了一项长期协议，即只有好奇和柯克兰尿布在好市多的货架上销售。即使在产品确立之后，好市多的采购员也会仔细监测大宗商品投入和原材料，并愿意更换供应商以保持质量和具有竞争力的价格。这最近导致了供应商的转变，由第一质量公司(First Quality, QD's) 成为尿布制造商。 单一品牌战略和有限SKU的环境使好市多能够决定条款并优先考虑客户价值。虽然国家品牌最初有机会保持合理的价格，但消费者偏好转向自有品牌已经巩固了柯克兰的统治地位。2024年，柯克兰的销售额增长速度是国家品牌的四倍，达到860亿美元，超过了宝洁和卡夫亨氏等品牌。 虽然竞争对手山姆会员商店（Sam's Club）在2017年也推出了其自有品牌Members' Mark，但许多其他零售商，如塔吉特（Target）和沃尔玛（Walmart），继续使用多个自有品牌。好市多认为，其战略特别适合会员制渠道，会员为此支付费用，这表明他们具有更高的忠诚度和参与度。 最终，好市多战略性地利用柯克兰（Kirkland Signature）来确保名牌商品具有竞争力的价格，并提供质量更好的替代品。新柯克兰产品的开发是由在产品类别中自然识别的机会驱动的，而不是由强加的配额驱动的。自1995年以来，首席执行官亲自批准每款柯克兰产品，这个过程被称为“绿墨水会议”，象征着最终批准，凸显了该品牌的重要性。案例研究的结论是，柯克兰的成功归功于好市多的独特环境及其对质量和价值的承诺。

This case study examines how Costco's Kirkland Signature brand disrupted the big box retail industry by challenging conventional wisdom about private labels. Initially, Costco, founded in 1983, focused on a limited selection of name-brand items at high volumes. However, as brand prices rose, Costco co-founder Jim Sinekl saw an opportunity in the growing European trend of consumers embracing private labels, store-manufactured products. He believed that Costco could leverage lower manufacturing costs to offer better value. Costco's profit margins on name brands were capped at 14%, while private labels allowed for slightly higher margins. The initial approach involved creating numerous private labels like Chelsea, Cloud, and Traditions, but this proved confusing even within the organization. A warehouse manager's inability to identify a product as belonging to one of Costco's private labels triggered a realization: the scattered branding diluted their impact. The decision to consolidate all private labels under one brand, Kirkland Signature, was a bold move, defying the industry norm of segmenting private labels by product type to mitigate risk. Retailers feared that a negative experience with one product under a single brand could negatively impact the perception of all products under that brand. Costco's leadership, however, saw the potential benefits of a unified brand identity. The name "Kirkland" was chosen because Costco's headquarters was in Kirkland, Washington, at the time (even though they later moved to Issaquah). The Kirkland Signature brand was gradually rolled out, beginning with products like shampoo and vitamins. Today, it encompasses over 350 products across various categories, adhering to Costco's principle of limited selection. This limited-SKU environment creates intense competition among suppliers, as a new Kirkland item can directly impact a supplier's sales and shelf space. Kirkland Signature became a powerful negotiation tool, allowing Costco to exert pressure on suppliers. A prime example is Kirkland diapers. Costco approached Procter & Gamble (Pampers) and Kimberly-Clark (Huggies) to manufacture Kirkland diapers. Kimberly-Clark offered the best deal, resulting in a long-standing arrangement where only Huggies and Kirkland diapers are sold on Costco shelves. Even after a product's establishment, Costco buyers meticulously monitor commodity inputs and raw ingredients, and are willing to change vendors to maintain quality and competitive pricing. This recently led to a shift to First Quality (QD's) as the diaper manufacturer. The single-brand strategy and limited-SKU environment empowers Costco to dictate terms and prioritize customer value. While national brands initially had an opportunity to keep prices reasonable, the shift in consumer preference towards private labels has cemented Kirkland's dominance. In 2024, Kirkland sales grew four times faster than national brands, reaching $86 billion, surpassing brands like Procter & Gamble and Kraft Heinz. While competitor Sam's Club followed suit in 2017 with its Members' Mark private label, many other retailers like Target and Walmart continue to use multiple private label brands. Costco believes its strategy is particularly well-suited to the club channel, where members pay a fee, demonstrating a higher level of loyalty and engagement. Ultimately, Costco leverages Kirkland Signature strategically to ensure competitive pricing on name brands and offer better quality alternatives. The development of new Kirkland products is driven by opportunities identified organically within product categories, rather than by imposed quotas. The CEO personally approves every Kirkland product since 1995, a process known as "green ink meetings," symbolizing final approval, underscoring the brand's importance. The case study concludes by noting that Kirkland's success is attributed to Costco's unique environment and its commitment to quality and value.