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PHOTOS: FRANCE FREEMAN
Costco and
TalkingRain
keep your body
on the go
Healthy
hydratıon
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter
Pat Volchok gives
a behind-the-scenes
look at Costco
products and services.
Send your questions to:
buyingsmart@
costco.com.
WHAT’S BETTER FOR you than high-priced vitamin water filled with artificial flavors, preservatives
and sugar? How about the real thing? That’s what
Costco’s new Kirkland Signature™ VitaRain by
TalkingRain, which arrives in warehouses later this
month, is.
Kirkland Signature VitaRain by TalkingRain is a
vitamin-enhanced, noncarbonated, artesian water
produced by a highly respected veteran beverage
manufacturer. No sugar, calories, artificial flavors,
colors or preservatives are allowed. And savings are
more than 50 percent compared to top-selling
national brands.
I’ve been a TalkingRain fan for many years and
recently jumped at the chance to visit the TalkingRain
plant with Costco buyer Kim Thuringer and assistant buyer Tim Hanken. The facility is located in the
verdant foothills of the Cascade mountains near
Preston, Washington. As we exit my car, fresh mountain air, riotously chirping birds and a luscious
evergreen forest greet my senses.
Top companies, top ingredients
TalkingRain chief executive officer and maniac
marathon runner Doug MacLean welcomes us. He’s
just as excited about this new co-branding venture as
Costco is. “Both of our companies [TalkingRain and
Costco] are Northwest innovators who’ve successfully built customer loyalty and products for more
than 20 years,” he says. “And from this we draw an
even deeper sense of pride with this partnership.”
This beverage program is all that I hoped
for—and more. The water used in the product
comes directly from deep, pure artesian wells. It
does not see the light of day until it reaches
TalkingRain’s certified-organic plant.
“We are located in a drinking-water sweet spot,”
notes MacLean. “The geology of this region creates
great-tasting water with a nice balance of minerals.
Most suppliers are not so lucky.”
Vitamins used in the Kirkland Signature formulations are purchased from some of the leading
vitamin manufacturers and are of the highest quality. A quick comparison with other brands shows
that Costco uses a wider range and higher percentages of vitamins in this product.
I ask about a worrisome study reporting that
some nationally branded vitamin waters contain
lower percentages of vitamins than claimed. “We
test vitamin efficacy, water purity and many other
factors routinely,” responds Kim. “In fact, we require
the same rigid testing standards demanded of
Kirkland Signature Premium Drinking Water,
including high-tech filtration procedures to 99 percent purity.”
TalkingRain incorporates natural fruits rather
than cheaper artificial colorings or flavorings. The
fruits come from many regions of the world.