Who Makes Costco's Kirkland Brand Coconut Water?
If you can afford to buy your favorite retail items in bulk and simultaneously save money, there's a strong chance you're a proud Costco member. Saving money by opting for Costco's in-house Kirkland products, which are oftentimes strikingly similar to your favorite name-brand items, proves to not only be convenient but also cost-effective. Besides batteries, coffee, and jelly beans, Costco also carries a few in-house varieties of organic coconut water. Beyond the fact that this hydrating beverage fuels your body with electrolytes and may even help decrease your blood pressure, Costco customers have the benefit of choosing between a few different organic options that pose similar nutritional properties and characteristics when compared to popular name-brand alternatives.
Yet, for those of you curious to know who's responsible for processing and manufacturing Costco's versions of this hydrating elixir, there doesn't appear to be a clear answer. Unfortunately, Costco keeps many of the company's third-party suppliers under wraps. If you hate being in the dark about who exactly supplies Kirkland's organic coconut water, there's still plenty to learn about the Kirkland-brand varieties and why the companies responsible for manufacturing Costco products remain so elusive.
What we know about Costco's Kirkland-brand organic coconut water
Part of why Costco thrives as a major retailer rests on the company's ability to offer private-label products at a steep discount. The reason why Costco's Kirkland signature products are so cheap has a lot to do with the fact that Costco can buy and sell popular products without the added cost of name-brand production. Specifically, on the topic of coconut water, Costco offers two organic varieties under the Kirkland label. One variety is a Tetra-packed shelf-stable version similar, in appearance, to name-brand Vitacoco. In terms of manufacturing, all that can be firmly claimed about this product is that it's certified organic and a product of the Philippines.
Alternatively, Costco offers a Kirkland brand refrigerated organic coconut water similar in color and packaging to the name brand Harmless Harvest. This product is also certified organic, yet is manufactured in Thailand. Unfortunately, many coconut water suppliers have manufacturing facilities in both Thailand and the Philippines, so finding the exact companies affiliated with Costco Kirkland's varieties may prove nearly impossible. Part of why Costco uses third-party manufacturers has a lot to do with the company's ability to offer its customers the best prices available. While not exactly knowing who is behind these coconut waters may leave you uneasy, you might be able to live with looming questions after comparing the Kirkland assortment to pricier name-brand alternatives.
How does Kirkland-brand organic coconut water compare to other varieties?
Besides the 12 organic foods you should be buying at Costco when it comes to choosing beverages, apart from the brand's cost-effective coffee and juice selection, you have a few options when selecting organic coconut water. When comparing the tetra-packed variety to a name-brand assortment like Vitacoco, in terms of price there is very little discrepancy. The Kirkland organic 12-pack costs $13.59 while an 18-pack of Vitacoco costs $18.49. However, the Kirkland variety is organic, which may make this variety more appealing to health-conscious consumers. The Kirkland variety also has 9 grams of sugar per container while Vitacoco has 13 grams. Both options contain 100% coconut water with zero additives.
On the other hand, a 6-count pack of pink Harmless Harvest coconut water costs $15.29 from Costco, yet the price of Costco Kirkand's variety is currently unavailable. However, according to a Reddit thread from 2022, Costco's variety cost $1.70 less than Harmless Harvest and contains slightly more sugar than the name-brand variety. In the end, while the price differences aren't that vast, your choice of purchase will either come down to preference in taste or level of dedication and trust in Kirkland-brand products.