Are store brands as good as the national brands?
National brand or store brand? The debate has continued for years, from researchers studying consumer behaviour to parents looking to save money on supermarket items.
Recent research suggests that 80 per cent of global consumers feel store brands are the same as, or better than, national brands at providing a variety of benefits, according to surveys conducted by Ipsos Marketing.
There’s no denying that you can save a lot of cash at the store by buying store brand products instead of name brands. But do they taste as good?
For the most part, yes, says Consumer Reports, reaffirming the perception that store brands have morphed from bland, sub par products to true competitors for name brand foods.
In blind tests, a CR team of trained tasters compared a major national brand with a store brand in 29 food categories. Store and national brands tasted about equally good 19 times. Four times, the store brand won; six times, the national brand came out ahead.
What's more, the store-brand foods tested cost an average of 27 per cent less than big-name counterparts.Price gaps have less to do with what goes into the package than with the research, development, and marketing costs that help build a household name, CR maintains.
Which is not that surprising when you consider that many national manufacturers also produce "private label" or store brand products for major grocery chains.
Not that you’ll every get complete agreement on this one. Frugal blogger Len Penzo doesn't have a warehouse full of taste testers at his disposal, so he rounded up a bunch of family members and, in a subsequent test, neighbourhood children to wear the blindfolds.
Click here, here, and here for his test results on everything from generic soup to no-name cereal.
What’s your experience with substituting store brand items? Any store brand products that just didn't cut it?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Ivan | May 10, 2021 9:37:30 AM
Shopping is frustrating at the best of times and I think we all can contest to that!
Posted by: Vickie | May 10, 2021 10:16:04 AM
The products are generally made by the same companies, simply different labels!!! The joke's on the consumer, always!
Posted by: Avery B | May 10, 2021 4:37:51 PM
Most definitely store brands can be equal to and in many cases superior to the National Brands. Although in many cases the products themselves are made by the same factories using the same formulas, it all comes down to building trust with the consumer.
A costlier product under the name of a national brand no longer equals to a ‘better’ quality than the same product sold under a local store brand. For the last 10 years consumers studies have indicated that the consumer’s awareness, and a better access to related product brand information has resulted to directing their purchases to the best promoted/marketed product regardless of being a national or a local brand.
Posted by: Guy | May 10, 2021 5:08:01 PM
Once again, the proof is in the pudding. So in terms of food products, each category might have some better quailty products or some cost effective products under the store brand. If you have the time, look at the nutritional info or the ingredient deck on a reputable national brand and then compare the store brand. If they are very similar and you can save with the store brand, well you just saved some money for the same product quality.
In general, some store brands try to have 1-2 items in the ingredient deck that is different than a leading brand. For instance, a can of Chicken Noodle Soup will have spiral noodles in lieu of flat noodles. A Shepherd's Pie will have 100% pure beef instead of just ground beef (pork & beef).
Happy eating!
Posted by: Bill | May 10, 2021 8:06:44 PM
Lately I have noticed that more Store Brand products indicate that they are made in Canada. On many of the national brands the best you get is: "imported by". If you want me to pay more money ... hire more Canadians.
Posted by: Lisa | May 10, 2021 10:04:03 PM
I guess I do agree with some being superior to the name brands. I bought Walmarts store brand called Equate version of Aveeno oatmeal lotion and is better then Aveeno's ingredients. But I don't like their ibuprofen which I guess is the same as Advil which I find ineffective, I am a Motrin user:)
Posted by: Lisa | May 10, 2021 10:05:44 PM
Actually Bill, the may say Made In Canada but it can mean the packaging is made in canada! So it is almost impossible to really know for sure unless you are the company making it.
Posted by: Guy | May 10, 2021 11:00:28 PM
Let me give you an example on Seafood that seems to be an issue for many. The Fishing Boats leave the Canadian territory from BC. They fish in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They then have the choice of bringing that fish to Canada or to China for futher processing like cutting them into fillets/portions. The option is labour in Canada at $20+ an hour or China at $1.00 hr. Since consumers are not willing to pay the higher price, it is sent to China. All they do is cut the fish and freeze it. Because it is packaged there, it is identified as Made In China even though the fish could have been caught very close to BC.
Now please note that it's not that cut and dry. You do have fish that is farm raised in China, Vietnam, Peru, ect.... that could have issues with chemicals. Buying from a reliable source or from a reputable National Brand company is suggested.
Posted by: Kevin E | May 26, 2021 11:09:24 PM
Where ever possible I buy the house brands.Most of the time they are equal or superior to the national.I am a firm believer that the so called national brands also produce the house brands. More often than not the house brand product container, packaging etc. are the same size and shape as the national brand. It's simply that the national brands wont sell it at the house brand price with their name on the item. To me it's a no brainer, why pay more if you dont have to. My first loyalty is to my bank account.