day?Ruff
TOM CLEMENTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Orthopedic
Napper
Spoil Fido with Kirkland
Signature pet beds and throws
By Sherrie Newman
Sherrie Newman fills January’s consumer reporter slot
with a behind-the-scenes
look at a popular Kirkland
Signature product. Send your
questions about this article to:
buyingsmart@costco.com.
BuyingSmart
A PEACEFUL SLEEP in a comfortable bed is vital to
our health. Our pets sleep even more than we do, so
it is just as important for them to have a high-quality
bed. For years Costco’s Kirkland Signature™ brand has
provided popular pet products, and this year the pet
bed team decided to take a quantum leap in quality
and style, and create something so elegant that it
would ;t into even the most beautiful home.
Teresa Noonan, private-label buyer for Kirkland Signature products, told me, “We really wanted
to stay current with couture home décor style and
quality, and at such a value that it would allow
Costco members to rotate the pet beds and throws
with each season if they chose, much as an interior
designer might do in the home.”
Teresa and the pet beds team—Emily Halac,
Adam Matkin and Missi Seese—brainstormed new
concepts and researched designs. ;ey envisioned
a bed that would have the highest-quality construction, the most supportive ;lling, be covered in
exceptional fabric; oh, and all at a price that would
be the most competitive in the market.
;ey exceeded even their own expectations.
By design
While Costco has successfully o;ered basic pet
bed shapes for years, the team wanted to provide
creative options. ;ey investigated interesting forms,
previewed 20 prototypes and then expanded the
product line with three ne w selections: the Donut, the
Orthopedic Napper and the Cuddler. Next the team
contacted key suppliers and had them access fur-niture-grade textiles with a beautiful “hand” (feel),
durability and relevance to current decorating trends.
One Costco supplier, a home décor manufacturer
(with a pet bed division), has in-house master weavers
to design their furniture fabrics. ;ey conducted
extensive consumer research, and were able to
provide Costco with the latest information on colors
and fashions. ;e company also has weaving mills
so fabrics can be made precisely to speci;cation.
;e team viewed more than 1,000 fabric swatches
Pet Sofa
Bed
