generic foods

That box of store-brand cereal is looking more tempting to a lot of Americans: A new Harris poll lists buying generic as the top way consumers are cutting back on everyday expenses. What other methods are we using to stretch out our budgets, and how much more frugal are we getting? Read on ...

In this economy, cash-strapped consumers have become more budget conscious and less concerned about appearing cheap. As a result, better-known brands have steadily been losing ground to store-branded food products.

Many major companies -- Safeway, Trader Joe's and Target, among them -- sell generic, or what they prefer to call "private label," products that are typically cheaper than the brand name products they aim to replace. If ketchup is ketchup to you and your family, then the cheaper generic brand is a...

Pillsbury is launching its first major branding campaign since 2001, trying to stave off not just competition from other major brands, but a resurgence of budget-conscious shoppers buying generic brands -- and, heaven forbid say the corporate honchos, baking goodies and bread from scratch. The...