Costco Connection - June 2012

The next generation Costco upgraded Kirkland Signature’s tissue thickness by 21 percent and sheet weight by 15 percent, but kept the price at 94 cents per 100 square feet.

FRANCE FREEMAN

The original

Although the original Kirkland Signature bath tissue was the company’s No. 1- selling product, buyers felt there was room for improvement.

chain come from legal and responsible sources. Costco requires an independent third-party analysis reconfirming that no sourcing comes from forests identified as endangered.

Deb tells me, “Sustainability and good
forestry citizenship are complicated. We only
want to work with suppliers who are of good
character, who operate in a manner that is
environmentally and socially responsible.”
At every turn I discover even more to like
about this new Costco bath tissue.

Some brands add a chemical-based temporary wet-strengthening agent to their tissue so it stays strong during use and then breaks down for flushing. Kirkland Signature has a specific fiber blend that does not need temporary wet-strength additives. Studies show it breaks up as fast as or faster than many leading brands and is also safe for septic systems and RVs.

Deb insists, “Please let members know that RV-specific bath tissues are priced ridiculously high. Kirkland Signature works just as well, with no inks, dyes or perfumes added.”

Do you prefer

over or under when it comes to putting bath tissue on the holder?

Costco’s Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue supplier reports that 72 percent of those surveyed said they prefer over.

Over users report it’s easier to tear off the desired number of sheets, and there’s less chance of scraping one’s knuckles on the wall. Under users say there’s less temptation for a child or cat to unravel the roll, and they like the tidier appearance.

With a husband and a whole passel of kids and grandkids in and out of our house, I’m just glad to find tissue on the roll when I need it.—PV

(five sealed six-packs) rather than the previous 36 so the bundles could continue to fit Costco pallets (and continue to meet Costco’s com-pany-wide objective of reducing packaging).

This in turn meant a higher price per sheet when computed at 30 rolls rather than 36 at the existing bundle price of $17.99.

So, in a move that once again shows why I am so hooked on this company, Costco lowered the bundle price from $17.99 to $14.99, commensurate with the 11-cents-per-100- sheet cost of the previous Kirkland Signature version. (Other brands are as much as 62 cents per 100 sheets.)

Signature Bath Tissue belong to those who purchase and use it.

Quality assured

Deb makes presentations at all eight mills, explaining what is expected and demanded as part of Costco best practices, with no compromise on quality. The mill team tells me that Costco is the only retailer known to conduct this type of training.

Quality checks during production are continuous. Nothing is overlooked, from fiber blend, wet strength, softness, disintegration, ply thickness and moisture content to tensile strength in both directions and tearing ease.

Independent third-party testing is conducted quarterly, and Costco’s own quality-assurance lab randomly pulls and test samples directly from warehouses.

We proceed to the enormous on-site warehouse (it’s eight stories high and holds 423,000 bundles of Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue). I’m comforted by the fact that the plant is fully automated—which means that, except for periodic quality inspections, the only human hands to touch Kirkland

Domino effect

Of course, the improvements posed several challenges. For example, upgrading tissue thickness by 21 percent and sheet weight by 15 percent caused quite the domino effect.

The added fiber enlarged the 425-sheet roll diameter from 4. 65 inches to 5. 2 inches, which triggered a new bundle configuration of 30 rolls

Royal flush

While turning in our badges as we leave the mill (security is very tight), I ask how members are reacting to this new Costco bath tissue.

I’m told the new Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue was first launched in the Midwest last September. Sales in the region are showing double-digit growth. Members report they like its softness, thickness and strength, and that it drops no lint (unlike other high-end brands), tears neatly, is safe for plumbing, leaves users feeling clean and saves money.

At the end of a very long day, Deb concludes, “At Costco, we never rest. This is why Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue continues to be the biggest private-label bath tissue brand in the U.S.” C