Are Name-Brand Foods Worth It?

by Jason Best, Posted Sep 8th 2010 @ 11:00AM

It's been a long time since store brands were relegated to the bottom shelf of the grocery store, saddled with those generic black-and-white labels ("Ketchup," "Pickles") that made them look like provisions in a Soviet commissary.

Still, despite fancier labels, a lot of shoppers are leery of anything that doesn't sport a name brand. "That's just plain silly," your penny-pinching grandmother might have said. "You're just paying for the name."

According to the findings of a recent study by Consumer Reports, it turns out that she might have been right.

The consumer watchdog that's better known for road testing cars and troubleshooting cell phones has turned its attention to the grocery store. The group had tasters sample 21 different food products and compare national brands with their store-brand equivalents.

The results?

Store brands either beat or tied their national-brand counterparts 14 times, with store brands trouncing such iconic household names as Campbell's, Tropicana, and Oscar Mayer.

And as Consumer Reports points out, picking up a few store brands here and there can save big bucks. The magazine's survey found that store brands cost an average of 30 percent less than their national-brand equivalents.

"The study reaffirms that store brands are worth a try," said Tod Marks, senior projects editor for Consumer Reports. "For a family that spends $100 a week on groceries, the savings could add up to more than $1,500 a year."

Filed Under: News
Tags: brand names, campbells, consumer reports, grocery store, oscar mayer, store brands, tropicana

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-08-2010 @11:34AM Don Julio said... The only attribute that corporate buyers analyze when contracting a manufacturer to make their private label foods are flavor profiles and shelf life.

Take a look at the ingredients structure before you purchase a store brand vs. brand name ... in many instances you will put that store brand right back on the shelf. (especially cereals).

No one is a saint in the food industry ... just stay vigilant.
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