I compared Costco shopping carts of Kirkland Signature products and brand names. The price differences surprised me.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business
Packages of Kirkland Signature AA-size alkaline batteries are displayed at a Costco Wholesale store on July 12, 2025 in San Diego, California.
Major retailers typically have several in-house brands. Costco just has one: Kirkland Signature.

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Why brands from Lululemon to Smucker's are taking retailers to court over store-brand dupes

Tech Insider : Business
A shopper with her hands on her head in exasperation.
Recent trade dress lawsuits center on the question of whether shoppers are confused by similarities between competing products.

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Walmart is ditching synthetic dyes in its store-brand grocery products. Here are all the ingredients it's removing.

Tech Insider : Business
Walmart is removing certain dyes and artificial ingredients from its store brands.
The FDA in April pushed food makers to phase out petroleum-based dyes in favor of natural alternatives.

Walmart

Target offers 1 year to return items from store brands like Cat & Jack kids' clothes. Here's how the unusually generous policy works.

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Cat & Jack clothing for sale at Target
Launched in 2016, Cat & Jack rocketed up to $2 billion in sales and now brings in over $3 billion for Target.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I tested Walmart's new Bettergoods brand against Target's more established Good & Gather. I couldn't pick a winner.

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Bettergoods croquettes on the left and Good and Gather lobster mac and cheese bites on the right.
The similarities between Walmart's Bettergoods brand and Target's Good & Gather brand were surprising.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

One potential reason Costco's Kirkland Signature products win over shoppers? The CEO signs off on every new item.

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Costco Kirkland Signature's Basil Pesto sells for $9.49.
Costco Kirkland Signature's basil pesto is a hit with foodies and sells for $9.50.

Maria Noyen/Business Insider

Target is lowering prices and boosting its budget brands as it battles Walmart for shoppers on the hunt for deals

Tech Insider
Shopping baskets at a Target store in Wisconsin.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I visited Walmart and found over 25 products that show how the retail giant is trying to win over wealthier customers

Tech Insider
Dominick Reuter in front of a Walmart.
I visited my local Walmart Supercenter to find which premium items the retailer now carries.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

Trader Joe's is accused of ripping off smaller food brands

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TRader Joe's grocery store
Trader Joe's, a grocery store that maybe isn't as nice as it seems.

UCG

Parents are using Target's unusually generous returns policy to exchange outgrown or worn-out Cat & Jack kids clothes for cash

Tech Insider
A Cat & Jack clothing display at a Target store.
Target introduced its Cat & Jack line in 2016 and quickly reached $2 billion in annual sales. It now represents over $3 billion in sales per year.

Dominick Reuter/Insider

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