What Costco’s Kirkland can teach us for our careers

STORY
How private labels win by making decisions easier

You’ve probably bought a “private label” product before—whether it’s Walmart’s Great Value, Target’s Up & Up, or Trader Joe’s “Joe Joe’s” cookies. But did you know that private label brands work not just because they’re cheaper, but because they reduce decision fatigue?

Take Kirkland, Costco’s “not-so-secret weapon” that sells various staples from coffee to toilet paper. Just last year, Kirkland sales alone surpassed $56 billion USD in revenue—more than Nike or Netflix individually. One contributing factor to the private label’s success? Fewer options—just one or two well-chosen products per category.

In retail terms, these are called SKUs, or “stock keeping units.” Each variation of a product (like size, flavor, or brand) is a separate SKU. Most big box stores offer an average of 10,000 SKUs. 

The result? 

A phenomenon called the “paradox of choice”: too many options leading to customers first wondering What’s the difference between X and Y? and then ultimately giving up and not buying anything.

This is where private label products come in.

They limit the number of SKUs down to just one trusted yet affordable pick—resulting in stores like Costco having an average of not 10,000 SKUs but 3,700 SKUs. Fewer options mean easier decisions. Easier decisions mean faster purchases. It’s that simple!

UNSPOKEN RULE
Be the easy pick!

Private label brands like Costco's Kirkland win shelf space—and market share—because they make decisions easier. They’re trusted, consistent, and good enough that no one needs to overthink.

The same principle applies in your career.

When it comes to promotions, leadership is often overwhelmed with choices. They’re deciding between multiple internal candidates—or worse, debating whether to hire externally. If you want to stand out, don’t just be qualified. Be the no-brainer pick.

How? Follow the TRACK framework (those of you who’ve attended a keynote of mine might remember this!):

• T — Thinking: You know why you’re doing what you’re doing.

• E.g., “I approached it this way because...”
  

• R — Responding: You have an answer and a point of view.

• E.g., “That’s a great point—here’s how I’d handle it.”
  

• A — Anticipating: You address issues before they arise.

• E.g., “Just a heads-up that I noticed ______, which means our timeline might get pushed back by ______. I’ve spoken to ______ and propose…”
  

• C — Contributing: You offer ways to make things better.

• E.g., “Have we considered ______ instead?”
  

• K — Known: You’re not just skilled—you’ve built strong relationships that make you visible.

• E.g., “Hi! I don’t think we’ve met. I’m ______, a ______ on ______ in charge of ______…”

Promotions aren’t always about being the best. Often, they’re about being the easiest to say yes to.

See you next Tuesday for our next story and unspoken rule!

—Gorick

What’s an “unspoken rule”? They’re the things that separate those who get ahead from those who stumble—and don’t know why. You can learn more about these rules in the workplace in my Wall Street Journal bestselling book called—you guessed it—The Unspoken Rules.

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Gorick Ng
[email protected]​
Harvard career advisor | WSJ bestselling author | Fortune 500 keynote speaker | First-gen

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Sources

1. delivers solid quality at a lower price.

2. too many options create confusion, slow down purchases, and reduce satisfaction.

3. They intentionally cut it down to just one or two trusted versions.

4. Costco’s limited SKU

5. Costco having an average of not 10,000 SKUs but 3,700 SKUs

6. Limiting SKUs helps these retailers avoid the paradox of choice

7.  McKinsey found that nearly 75% of U.S. shoppers—and 85% in Europe—are now trading down to save money

8. Cover image

9. Costco’s Kirkland

10. “not-so-secret weapon”

11. $56 billion USD in revenue