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Brand Name vs. Store Brands: How to Get the Best Bargain

By Nadine Cheung Posted 10:00AM 01/09/13 Savings Experiment, Shopping |
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Which off-brand products do you buy?

Did you find our shopping article helpful?

Supermarkets stock dozens of options for any given food item, and if you're trying to save money, generic or store brands usually offer a better deal. However, this isn't always the case. So, which products will get you the most bang for your buck?

According to Time, many products from store brand lines -- like Target's Archer Farms and Whole Foods' 365 Everyday Value -- are produced at the same factories as brand-name companies. The ingredients are nearly identical, but the packaging is different.

In fact, when Consumer Reports conducted a blind taste test, many of the off-brand items came out on top or tied with their brand-name counterparts. "The study reaffirms that store brands are worth a try," said Tod Marks, Consumer Reports' senior projects editor. "For a family that spends $100 a week on groceries, the savings could add up to more than $1,500 a year."

By opting for store brands, you can save anywhere from 30 to 50 percent on your shopping items without skimping on quality or taste. However, many big brands are reputable and have the perception of higher quality, which no-name or generic brands may not have.

If you're on the fence about purchasing an off-brand product, Andrew Schrage, founder of Money Crashers, has come up with a few quick rules of thumb to go by. According to the Business Insider article, you can save on generic non-perishable snacks, cleaning products, paper goods and diapers, but when in doubt, you should stick to name-brand dairy products, meat, pet food and baby food.

If you're accustomed to brand name goods, try swapping one or two items to start. Even switching a few items on your shopping list will help you keep more money in your pocket.
Tagged: best deals, brand name vs generic, Lifestyle, Savings Experiment, SavingsExperiment, shopping, Store brands, when to buy generic

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Winnie

Wow… My best friend has just announced her wedding，they met on ~ ~ 50romancé.com ~ ~ 6 months ago. This is a dating site where you can meet older men and mature women such as CEOs, athletes, doctors, lawyers, models, celebrities, etc....Maybe you can take a try. gfdgad

9 hours ago Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Oscar Goldman

The term is "name brand" not "brand name." Name brands are the opposite of no-name brands. That's where those terms come from.

February 12 2013 at 7:42 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
sugarcreekchile

When it comes to store brands, it all depends on the brand and store. I shop at Costco, Albertson's and Smiths (Kroger). I've found the store brands from Costco and Albertson's to be good. I haven't been able to tell a difference from the store brand items I've bought at these stores and the name brands. Smith's used to be the same way until they were bought out by Kroger.

As soon as Kroger took over, the store brands took a dive. I've tried several of their store brand products and never again. I've always been disappointed. I don't know who makes their store brands but their contracts seem to be going to the lowest bidder. Their store brand green beans were subpar and had stems still on the beans and in the can. Instead of buying the higher priced Durkee's French Fried Onion Rings, I decided to give the Smith's (Kroger) brand a try. I thought they couldn't mess them up that bad. Wrong!!! To begin with, there wasn't 1 ring in the can. The can was filled with french fried crumbles. That would have been ok, I could have lived with crumbles except all the crumbles were singed and burned. Some stores brands are great, others like the Kroger store brands should be used for pig slop.

January 30 2013 at 11:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Larry Dum

Just sample the products and choose what works for you. Duh.

January 30 2013 at 9:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
daziedoo

Working in a grocery store, I have noticed that many of the off brands are the cheaper way to go and they taste exactly the same (disclaimer: this is -not true- for -all- items, but it is true for many of them). What it boils down to is vanity or health. Some people have too much pride to buy the cheaper goods because it's been ingrained into their mind by society that they should buy the "better" product; others worry about the content in the food, which should be a large concern considering that some cheaper, off brand foods might be putting in more additives and unhealthy substitutes in their product. IMHO, people should be worrying more about what is in the food they're eating and how it suites their tastes, rather than if it's name brand or not.

I can provide two good examples of this because I have studied labels consistently in an effort to see why some products are cheaper than others: ketchup and pasta sauce. Cheap brands of ketchup like Del Monte and Hunts (some of the cheapest on the market) have decided to add in high fructose corn syrup to their products, the same thing that is in the very popular unhealthy soda, while other brands like Heinz do not. In pasta sauces, I have noticed the same high fructose corn syrup problem with canned pasta sauces made (again) by Del Monte and Hunts as opposed to brands like Prego, Ragu, Newman's Own, etc.

I guess, in some instances, you get what you pay for. Other times, it's the exact same thing be it name brand or store brand. It really just depends on how closely you check that label and keep track of what you put in your body.

January 30 2013 at 3:51 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
c.mertz

I compared some Petrossian brand caviars to caviar from Costco, and they tasted very much alike. One slight difference was that the Costco brand had a faint plastic taste which probably came from the 5 gallon bucket it was packed in.

January 30 2013 at 9:49 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rkeeeballs

...Store brands are made the same way as the name brands ...just slightly different printing on the package. If in doubt ,check the ingredients on the label.....yup.

January 30 2013 at 8:26 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Steve

. . . the difference between many brand name products and store brand products is the time of day the product goes down the assembly line when they throw the switch that changes which label goes on the can . . .

January 30 2013 at 7:16 AM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
hawkinsben1

I only buy BRAND NAMES, I have had to many problems with store brands, get the real thing, you cannot go wrong then, it your food you are eating plus your family also. I want the best for them

January 30 2013 at 3:49 AM Report abuse -3 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to hawkinsben1's comment
vieragam

you are wasting a lot of money regardless of how wealthy you are.

January 30 2013 at 1:04 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Oscar Goldman

Not only are you gullible and easily manipulated with this "best for your family" bullshit, but you're regurgitating this to others.

And the term is NAME BRAND, not "brand names." You're not buying a name; you're buying a brand. In this case, we're talking about name brands vs. no-name brands.

February 12 2013 at 7:44 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
isisreptiles

I will only buy Dannon or Yoplait yogurt. I've tried the generics and haven't liked them. Cereal is another generic item that is hit or miss. A few of them are OK, but most don't measure up to the name brand.

January 30 2013 at 2:53 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply

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