Who Makes Member's Mark for Sam's Club? (It's Not Always Who You Think)

It’s no secret that buying Member’s Mark products can save you big bucks at Sam’s Club. In fact, shopping the private label is one of our best tips for shopping at Sam’s Club. But how do you know when to buy the Member’s Mark version or when you should splurge on the name brand? It all comes down to knowing the manufacturer.

Here's the scoop: some Member’s Mark products are made by other private companies — not Walmart or Sam's Club. For example, the Member’s Mark brand of batteries is actually manufactured by Energizer. This means when you buy the Sam’s Club brand, you get the same quality as name-brand without having to pay name-brand prices.

Here’s everything you need to know about the manufacturers behind these popular Member’s Mark products. Once you get familiar with these, check out our list of the best things to buy at Sam’s Club.

For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.

Who makes Member’s Mark products?

Because Walmart owns and operates Sam’s Club, you might assume Walmart makes all of the Member’s Mark products, but that’s not necessarily true.

Brands like Sam’s Club and Costco are known for being secretive about who makes their private label products, which is likely because the companies who manufacture their merchandise don’t want to advertise that you can get the exact same products much cheaper by opting for the store brand.

For example, we’re pretty positive Energizer makes the Member’s Mark batteries — but Energizer wouldn’t necessarily want you to know that you can buy Energizer-quality products at Sam’s Club prices, because then they miss out on the name-brand sales.

But after some hefty sleuthing, we’re confident we’ve uncovered the manufacturers of these popular Member’s Mark products:

Member's Mark Batteries

Sam’s Club shoppers have been speculating for years that Energizer makes the Member’s Mark batteries — and all signs point to this actually being true.

The evidence: In an online forum back in 2010, a Sam’s Club shopper spotted an Energizer rep stocking Member’s Mark brand batteries at their store. It’s also worth noting that Energizer and Member’s Mark are the only two brands of batteries you can buy at Sam’s Club, suggesting a partnership between Energizer and the private label product.

Member's Mark Diapers

Diapers are always a hot topic for new parents because there are so many options — and they’re just so darn expensive. In fact, many new parents join a wholesale club just for the savings on diapers. Over the years, Reddit users have come to the consensus that Sam’s Club diapers are most similar to Pampers, while Kirkland diapers are essentially the same as Huggies.

The evidence: Parenting forums are full of parents suggesting Member’s Mark diapers as an almost-identical replacement for Pampers, because both have super similar features (including a specific woven waistband design meant to prevent blowouts).

There isn’t a definitive answer about who actually makes the Member’s Mark diapers, but with so many parents — the true diaper experts! — claiming the private label brand is essentially the same thing as Pampers (though with a much lower price tag), we think that’s a pretty safe bet.

Member's Mark Dog Food

A common misconception is that Member’s Mark dog food is made by Purina. However, we know that Mid America Pet Food produces at least some of the Member’s Mark dog food products.

The evidence: A 2023 FDA recall lists Mid America Pet Food as a manufacturer of Member's Mark dog food products.

Member's Mark Baby Formula

Member’s Mark baby formula is manufactured by Perrigo, the third-largest manufacturer of baby formula in the U.S.

The evidence: Bloggers and influencers that have posted advertising for Member’s Mark formula are required to disclose when a post is sponsored or paid for, and they list Perrigo as the sponsor.

Member's Mark Vodka

Another common internet rumor is that both Member’s Mark and Kirkland brand vodka are made by Grey Goose — but this isn’t true. The manufacturer of Member’s Mark vodka is actually printed right on the bottle; it’s made by I.W.A. Distilling in Louisville, Kentucky. But even though it isn’t a secret dupe of a premium product, Reddit users say it has a great taste for the price. (Several commenters have said it’s “just as good as Tito’s for half the price.”)

The evidence: It's printed right on the bottle!

How Member's Mark Compares to Kirkland

If you’re debating joining Costco vs. Sam’s Club and are zeroed in on the topic of their store brands, consider the items you’ll be buying most often.

Reddit users tend to agree that Kirkland Signature provides a better value than Member’s Mark, although Member’s Mark products tend to cost a tiny bit less.

Commenters that have both Costco and Sam’s Club memberships say that the fresh Kirkland items at Costco are better than the fresh Member's Mark items (Costco’s rotisserie chicken is supposedly better), but Sam’s Club has a better and wider variety of packaged snacks under the Member’s Mark brand.

And, almost everyone on the internet agrees that the Member’s Mark toilet paper is superior to the Kirkland brand.

But it's not just Costco vs. Sam’s Club you have to consider: Since so many popular brands manufacturer the Member’s Mark and Kirkland products, the name-brand competitors are often competing behind the scenes with each other. For example, Duracell makes Kirkland brand batteries, while Energizer makes Member’s Mark batteries.

At the end of the day, both Kirkland and Member’s Mark brands provide a great value at prices far lower than name-brand — so you really can’t go wrong either way.