Brand development that increases sales velocity, guaranteed.

Not guesswork.

Packaging design agency for brands selling into Costco.

We help brands turn Costco into a repeatable growth engine, not a one-time win. Through our Path to Performance™, we connect category strategy, design, and predictive testing that recreates club conditions. Multi-packs, variety packs, refills, and kits are engineered for pallet presentations, long sightlines, and tough value comparisons against private label. We start with the shopper mission, prove the winning route with data, and design packaging to perform on the pallet, in the aisle and online.

Take it from our clients and understand why SmashBrand is the packaging design agency for you.
Process.

Using consumer insights to design Costco-ready brands and packaging experiences.

Every Costco trip is about filling the cart without overthinking every choice. We study how shoppers read pallets, variety packs, and large formats, then use that data to refine your structure, messaging sequence, and value communication. Our integrated process aligns club strategy, design, and predictive testing with real in-warehouse constraints. The outcome is packaging that feels like a smart find and performs consistently in Costco.

Winning the Costco aisle with proven design.

In a Costco Wholesale warehouse full of pallets and giant carts, shoppers are making fast stock-up calls, not studying every case. They’re looking for what it is, how long it will last, who it really serves at home or in the business, and whether the price per unit feels like a smart move. Packaging has to answer those questions from 10–20 feet away through format, structure, and claims that signal real value, not clutter.

That’s why every design we create or SKU we redesign is built on Costco-specific shopper insights, sharpened through predictive testing, and calibrated for pallet presence, quick comprehension, and stronger conversion in a club environment.

Services.

Our design capabilities.

Brand Architecture

Structure Costco portfolios across good/better/best, value, and premium lines so each role is clear on the pallet and in the aisle. Define variants, case counts, and club-ready bundles in a way that simplifies choice, protects margin, and makes it obvious which option fits the stock-up mission.

Brand Identity

Build visual and verbal systems that stand out on pallet walls and case stacks while still feeling category-correct and trustworthy in the warehouse. Create identities that flex from everyday to premium tiers, across multi- and variety packs, without losing recognition at a distance.

Copywriting

Write focused, benefit-first messaging that spells out what the product does, how it performs, wholesale value, and why the case is worth the space in the cart. Clarify who it is for, how it fits stock-up, and what proof backs each claim, using language that works within Costco and regulatory expectations.

Packaging Design

Design Costco-ready packaging that cuts through pallet noise, surfaces core benefits in seconds, and makes trade-offs between format, case size, and value per unit easy to understand. Optimize for pallet faces, endcaps, and secondary placements.

Structural Packaging Design

Select materials and engineered formats that work with Costco realities: pallets, cube efficiency, freight, and warehouse handling. Explore bottles, tubs, jars, bags, cartons, and display-ready cases that are easy to stock, durable through the club supply chain, and instantly recognizable on the pallet and in-hand.

Pre-Production

Manage execution from early concepts to final printed cases with tight control. Coordinate pre-press, mandatory disclosures, certifications, UPC and unit-per-case alignment, pallet configuration, and Costco-specific requirements so everything is ready for buyer review and in-warehouse execution.

In-Store Marketing

Develop retail-ready displays, shippers, and case stacks designed for Costco floor space, endcaps, and cross-aisle opportunities. Extend the core brand story onto signage and POP that are simple to set, easy to shop from a distance, and built to lift velocity at the pallet.

Website Design

Create conversion-focused brand sites and landing pages that support your Costco presence. Educate on the product story, show the full club-ready portfolio, and guide visitors to find items in Costco warehouses or purchase through Costco’s digital channels with clear, simple paths.

Ecommerce Assets

Produce optimized digital assets for Costco.com and the Costco app, including hero images, value and case-comparison visuals, benefit callouts, and usage imagery. Improve search performance and lift conversion with assets that reflect how Costco members actually browse, compare, and decide to buy.

Brand Style Guides

Deliver practical systems that protect brand consistency across Costco packaging, ecommerce assets, in-warehouse signage, and shopper marketing. Define how the brand should show up from pallet and case stack to digital banners and retail media so every touchpoint feels aligned, intentional, and club-ready.

Brand Activation Toolkits

Equip internal teams and sales partners with ready-to-use creative assets, talking points, and playbooks for line reviews, new item pitches, seasonal programs, and in-warehouse activations at Costco.

DTC Design

Design shippers, trial kits, and digital assets so every design we create or SKU we redesign performs the same job on a pallet in Costco and in a DTC cart: clear role, fast value read, and consistent signals that drive in-warehouse and online sales together.

Merchandising Strategy

Apply data-led merchandising thinking to improve visibility and navigation across cleaning, refrigerated desserts, beverages, home improvement, and other relevant Costco locations. Recommend placement, adjacencies, facings, and pallet display or case-stack approaches that drive trade-up, basket expansion, and incremental units in the warehouse.

Brand Positioning

Anchor your Costco positioning in what matters most to members: clear functional payoff, credible proof, simple navigation, and value that feels smart at the unit level. Build a stance grounded in real product advantages and emotional reassurance to earn trust and repeat purchase in a high-stakes club environment.

Brand Innovation

Identify whitespace in formats, case sizes, variety configurations, and price ladders specific to Costco shoppers and business members. Use these insights to guide innovation in packaging, benefits, and value-engineered offerings that unlock new missions without eroding the core business.

Consumer Testing

Whether we work on a subtle refresh or a full-scale renovation, we validate every design, claim, benefit cue, and format with predictive methods and real shopper feedback in Costco-like contexts. That data steers confident decisions on packaging and portfolio moves before the products hit the shelves.

Integration.

Our approach to product packaging design that outperforms at Costco.

Costco isn’t a neat shelf; it’s a wall of pallets, sharp price anchors, and shoppers on stock-up missions. We break it down by watching how people actually move the floor, compare cases, and decide what earns space in the cart. Using performance benchmarks, club-specific category and competitor mapping, and purchase-driver analysis, we pinpoint the signals that communicate quantity, quality, and smart value at a glance.

Then we build a pallet, case, and variety-pack strategy around those signals, explore visual and structural directions that amplify them, and validate everything in Costco-like environments. Your packaging is tuned for warehouse realities and measured on its ability to move cases and earn reorders, not just impress in a presentation.

1
Strategy

Led by former brand managers from blue-chip CPG companies who understand your business challenges and market dynamics.

2
Design

Creative experts trained at top brand agencies, translating consumer insights into impactful designs for major CPG brands.

3
Testing

Modern consumer testing that simulates real retail environments, mapping the crucial 10-second buyer journey.

Future‑proof your brand with smart CPG brand architecture.

Their data-centric approach helped us understand consumer preferences and make smarter decisions backed by real insights.

Darren Linell Founder & Co-CEO
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Talk to us

Contact us to discuss how we can help you experience the full possibility of your brand.

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What happens next?
  1. One of our experts will look over your details and contact you.
  2. If needed, we’ll sign an NDA to keep the highest level of privacy.
  3. We'll schedule a discovery call to discuss your specific job to be done and how we can help drive your brand's growth.

Frequently asked questions about packaging design services for products in Costco aisles.

How do you help us win space on a Costco pallet wall when we’re surrounded by Kirkland products and low-priced competitors?

We start by auditing Costco pallets, endcaps, and stacks to see how your category actually shows up. Then we redesign the structure, graphics, and claims to position your product as the smart trade-up.

Costco Business Members buy in bulk, but our current pack feels too “retail.” How do you design for them?

We define a role for business-ready SKUs using format strategy and capacity cues that signal efficiency, durability, and value per use. We then validate designs with business users to ensure your pack feels built for them.

Our current multi-pack feels like a lazy upsize of the grocery SKU. How do you create a Costco-specific variety pack that actually performs?

We analyze usage and shopper missions to define what deserves a spot in the bundle. Then we design the outer case and internal mix around Costco shopping behavior and test multiple versions to find the one that lifts purchase and repeat.

We’re worried about Costco rotations and getting discontinued if velocity drops. How do you design packaging to protect our position?

We analyze what’s helping or hurting your rate of sale, then optimize for the Costco-specific levers that matter most. That includes value signaling, format clarity, and shopper fit. Every new design is tested against your baseline to prove it can keep the product moving.

Our sales team struggles to tell a clear packaging story in Costco line reviews. What support do you provide for that?

We translate the research and design into a clear narrative. Our review decks show before and after visuals, purchase intent lift, and your product’s role in the set. It’s everything your sales team needs to secure space or defend it with data.

What product categories in Costco do you work with?

We help brands optimize big-format packaging for Costco across: