Kirkland is a brand you know well if you shop at Costco, with the Kirkland Signature label appearing on a plethora of products. While Costco sells new, high-end electronics, its Kirkland brand is often associated with household items, such as paper towels, pet supplies, golf balls, clothing, and even batteries. If Costco carries a brand, there’s a good chance a Kirkland Signature alternative matches its quality at a lower price.
Many people find Kirkland Signature products to be as good as their name-brand counterparts – for good reason. Many major brands manufacture Kirkland Signature items, including batteries. In a 2016 interview with WSB-TV Atlanta, former Costco CEO Craig Jelinek stated that Duracell makes the same Kirkland Signature batteries you see next to Duracell batteries on store shelves. Jelinek explained that the Kirkland Signature brand saves consumers money by avoiding advertising costs and by using simple, plain packaging. Amazon follows the same blueprint with its own Amazon Basics batteries, which are made by Japanese manufacturers.
The battery partnership is just the tip of the iceberg. Starbucks produced Kirkland Signature Coffee at one time, and the warehouse club’s tuna is manufactured by Bumble Bee. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is also the brand behind Kirkland’s K-cups.
Where Costco’s Kirkland batteries are manufactured
We don’t have a definitive source as to where Kirkland Signature batteries are manufactured, but we have some clues we can infer from that 2016 interview. Duracell has a manufacturing plant in LaGrange, Georgia, that has been producing batteries since 1980. It would make sense for then-CEO Craig Jelinek to mention the brand’s Duracell connection with WSB-TV Atlanta. Duracell also operates a distribution plant in Fairburn, Georgia, and in early 2025, Governor Brian Kemp announced that Duracell would be establishing its Global Headquarters for Research and Development at Science Square in Atlanta.
So which one is better? It may boil down to price. The Duracell-branded batteries cost more ($19.99 for 40 AA/AAA batteries, depending on your location) when compared to the Kirkland Signature ones ($15.99 for 48 AA/AAA). However, with Duracell ranking second in our recent most popular battery brand list, you can’t go wrong picking up either brand next time you visit your local Costco.
