Paper views
COOKING EN PAPILLOTE (cooking in parchment) is a popular way to cook in Canada and Europe. It’s so popular, in fact,
that Costco buyer Claude Green made it his
mission to bring the convenience and ease of
cooking with parchment paper to Costco
members in the U.S.
Introduced in November 2011, Kirkland
Signature™ parchment paper is oven safe up to
420 F and comes in a 205-square-foot roll.
Most retail rolls measure between 50 and 75
square feet, which means Kirkland Signature
parchment paper offers more than 60 percent
savings over other brands.
Claude tells The Connection that it’s the
“highest-quality parchment paper available.”
But what does that mean to consumers?
Kirkland Signature parchment paper is made
from 98 percent virgin paper and has a dou-
ble-side silicone coating to better retain mois-
ture when cooking en papillote. The roll is 15
inches wide and has no core, which means
less packaging and more paper. The box has a
metal cutting bar to provide a clean cut each
time. Additionally, the paper is certified by
the Forest Stewardship Council, an organiza-
tion promoting responsible management of
the world’s forests.
Keep it clean
COSTCO INTRODUCED ITS Kirkland
Signature™ laundry detergent in 1997. The
goal, as with all Kirkland Signature products,
was to meet or surpass the quality of the leading brand. Over the past 15 years Costco buyers have worked closely with the suppliers to
improve the laundry detergent as innovations
crop up.
It’s safe to say that 1997’s detergent is a far
cry from today’s cleaning technology. “The
new Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean premium
laundry detergent can actually get your wash
cleaner, maintain the brilliance of bright colors
and make your whites whiter over multiple
wash loads,” says Costco buyer Deb Belcourt.
Deb explains: Most detergents remove
stains from laundry, but that dirt simply
swishes around in the water, where it can be
deposited on other items in the wash. The
new detergent has a patented formula called
Catch & Release that isolates dirt so more of it
rinses out in the water, without attaching to
other articles. The result? Your rinse water
will be dirtier and you’ll see, with repeated
use, that even dingy whites become whiter.
Quality isn’t the only selling point. With
each bottle handling 120 loads of laundry at
approximately 12 cents a load, price is a
strong part of the value equation. And think
of the additional savings that come from taking care of your clothing.
Deb adds, “I expect there will be fewer
discarded or unused articles of clothing as
members see the results of multiple washings,
where items really do become brighter and
whiter.”—Stephanie E. Ponder
1 b i
e i
r
e a
e e y
e l o
and make your whites whiter over multiple
bu th
s d r e
p t
l
t i T s
will be dirtier and you’ll see, with repeated
each bottle handling 120 loads of laundry at
p
. da
a o
c o
d s
members see the results of multiple washings,
e e
Great cover-up
WHETHER THEY SPECIALIZE in food or
household goods, Costco buyers are not only
well versed in the products they bring into
the warehouses, they stay on top of current
trends. This is particularly true for clothing,
as styles change from year to year and season
to season.
For example, when stiff weatherproof
fabrics such as Gore-Tex started taking a
backseat to soft-shell alternatives in outerwear, clothing buyers Dawn Vetter and Marc
Sloan took notice. In the fall of 2011, they set
out to create a high-end soft-shell jacket for
Costco members.
The result is the Kirkland Signature™
men’s soft-shell jacket. “This product
was developed to bring the Costco
customer the best jacket available in the market at the lowest cost,” says Marc.
He and Dawn explain
that, like other soft-shell
outerwear, the Kirkland
Signature jacket is water
resistant, breathable and
comfortable. What sets
this jacket apart is a
three-layer structure
with four-way stretch,
which means the jacket
allows freer movement. The
outer layer is a durable shell,
the middle layer is a flexible and
breathable membrane, and the
inner layer is soft, brushed fleece.
The Kirkland Signature soft-shell jacket
is also windproof and features an easy-access
chest pocket. Waterproof pocket zippers
keep wallets and phones dry.
Dawn adds, “What’s really exciting is
that comparable brands sell for anywhere
from six to 12 times more than the price
we’re offering our members.”
The jacket is available in black, charcoal
and olive, and sizes range from small to
2XL.—SEP
