Are Olipop and Poppi “Cooked”? Costco Launches Kirkland Model Prebiotic Soda at Half the Worth
Two months after rolling out Kirkland brand hydration powders, the retailer takes aim at Olipop and Poppi with a private-label prebiotic soda at half the cost.
Why doesn’t Kirkland have its own line of sodas? For years, the Costco faithful have been asking this question about the beloved retailer’s private label brand on the popular subreddit forum called r/Costco, which attracts 1.2 million weekly visitors. Now, Costco finally has an answer for those shoppers.
The $485 billion members-only warehouse club just launched Kirkland brand sodas, but instead of crafting store brand versions of Coca-Cola or Sprite or Dr Pepper, the retailer is taking on Olipop and Poppi. Earlier this week, customers started spotting pallets of Kirkland brand prebiotic sodas in stores and posting pictures of them on social media.
Costco has officially rolled out three flavors so
Costco has officially rolled out three flavors so far: strawberry lemon, orange, and cherry lime. Similar to the other better-for-you soda brands already on the market, each 12-ounce can contains five grams of sugar, 35 calories, and comes packed with six grams of fiber.
But unlike the rest of the modern soda set, Costco is offering their own take on a healthier treat at about half the price. An 18-can Kirkland Soda variety pack costs $14.89. By comparison, a 15-count variety pack of Olipop costs $23.99 on Costco’s website. A similar package Poppi is priced at $21.49.
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Costco rolled out a similar strategy when it launched its own private label electrolyte powders in September. The chain gave its customers what they craved: a similar product at a significantly lower price. Kirkland Signature Hydration undercut all the incumbent brand names already stocked on its shelves, including Liquid IV, LMNT, and DripDrop, and when it launched, customers offered glowing reviews, calling the private label equivalent a “market shatterer.”
Price conscious customers seemed just as excited about
Price conscious customers seemed just as excited about the possibility of swapping out the cases of Olipop and Poppi in their carts for Kirkland. As one person commented on Instagram, tagging both brands, “If these are good yall are cooked.”
Brad Woodgate, a serial entrepreneur in the consumer packaged goods industry, went even further with his reaction, writing in a post on LinkedIn, “Costco is quietly becoming one of the most powerful players in the beverage industry.” Still, getting such a competitively priced competitor in the modern soda aisle could come with some upside for all the better-for-you sodas. As Woodgate said, “When a retailer with Costco’s reach enters a category, it introduces products to millions of consumers who may never have tried them otherwise. That’s good for the entire category.”
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Source: www.inc.com
