Name brand versus off brand

[jusnikki]

When you grocery shop does it matter to you what brand you use? Have certain brands worked better than others? Is there a store brand or off brand that has worked better than a name brand?

Depending on the product sometimes you don't get the same outcome as you would using a namebrand. Like I have tried storebrand cream cheese in the place of philly and I didn't like the difference. I felt like the texture and taste was different.

My experience has mostly been the quality of off brands don't always hold up to name brands. But I also know you're paying more because of the brand name.

 

[Andy M.]

I have tried a number of store brand products where we regularly shop and have come away dissatisfied almost all the time. Almost half-gallon cartons OJ is about all I will buy of store brand products.

 

[jusnikki]

I have tried a number of store brand products where we regularly shop and have come away dissatisfied almost all the time. Almost half-gallon cartons OJ is about all I will buy of store brand products.

Have you tried Simplyorange orange juice?? It's now my favorite orange juice. They also have lemonade, limeade, and other juices. Just wanted to add that, lol.

 

[Andy M.]

No, I haven't. I just buy plain old OJ with the normal amount of pulp.

 

[Timothy]

With some products, it's really hard for manufacturers to make a "seconds" type of the same thing without ruining it.

I have a friend who used to work at a mixing-packaging company that made several of the more popular sauces here in the south. He said some of the products had as little difference as the addition of xanthan gum to the mix. Other than that, product X and Y were identical. X was a name brand and Y was a store brand.

He told me about many products that were that way. They made him sign a non-disclosure statement before he could work there. He gets all nervous when we discuss it.

 

[Andy M.]

We always keep a few frozen veggies in the freezer in one pound bags. I tried the store brand and found peas and corn woody and tasteless. String beans always had extraneous matter such as stems in the bag.

Unfortunately, there isn't much shelf space allowed for name brands and then only for the expensive veggies in a sauce.

Same goes for shredded cheese. Name brands are limited to low fat cheeses.

All this to force you to buy store brands.

 

[jennyema]

I have tried a number of store brand products where we regularly shop and have come away dissatisfied almost all the time. Almost half-gallon cartons OJ is about all I will buy of store brand products.

I totally agree.

The brand absolutely matters.

I hardly ever by store-brand, exept Stop and Shop milk because it is literally the same as name brand and Natures Promise meat products.

 

[4meandthem]

I buy store brands for alot of things but I have not found 1 product from "Value Time" brand that I have liked. I mean they can mess up frozen corn.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

No, I haven't. I just buy plain old OJ with the normal amount of pulp.

Once you buy Simply Orange, you will never go back...

Name brand shopper for the most part. Some store brand canned veggies and fruit are fine, depends on what I am using them for.

 

[jusnikki]

I totally agree.

The brand absolutely matters.

I hardly ever by store-brand, exept Stop and Shop milk because it is literally the same as name brand and Natures Promise meat products.

When it comes to milk I only use to buy Barbers but it's gotten so expensive now that I get Turner. I swear I can tell a difference, lol. I know Turner is a good brand but Barber just seems a little richer to me.

Speaking of Barbers...Do they still sell Barbers icecream anywhere? You can't find it here..

 

[Zhizara]

Having been poorer before I retired, I bought store brands. Now that I am in a better situation, I have tried the name brands again, and many times find I like the store brand just as well, or sometimes better.

My cooking has improved so much since I've been with DC that many of the store brands and name brands just aren't as good as they used to be. Either my palate has improved, or they are actually worse, but I do find myself making things from scratch a lot more now.

 

[jusnikki]

Once you buy Simply Orange, you will never go back...

Name brand shopper for the most part. Some store brand canned veggies and fruit are fine, depends on what I am using them for.

Troof!!!

 

[jabbur]

If I'm using the product in a dish I'll usually go store brand. If it's a stand alone item, I go name brand. Things like canned tomatoes, canned beans (kidney, pinto, etc), cream soups that get added to casseroles will be store brand. I get the store brand neufchatel cheese and that works as a replacement for cream cheese in most of my recipes. I'm not against using store brands but will go back to name brand if I don't like the results.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

If I'm using the product in a dish I'll usually go store brand. If it's a stand alone item, I go name brand. Things like canned tomatoes, canned beans (kidney, pinto, etc), cream soups that get added to casseroles will be store brand. I get the store brand neufchatel cheese and that works as a replacement for cream cheese in most of my recipes. I'm not against using store brands but will go back to name brand if I don't like the results.

That's what I do...thanks for verbalizing it for me.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I use store brand flour and sugar, and have never noticed any difference. I am not an expert baker, but I do a lot of no-knead bread, and everyone raves about it. Store brand butter--ok for cooking, but I go for Land o' Lakes for topping veggies or bread.

I buy Planters peanuts and cashews--definite quality difference. Generic soda is yucky, at least the diet type. If I decide to splurge on ice cream, only the expensive stuff will do--generic doesn't have any flavor.

I don't use many processed things, so I don't have any opinion on canned or packaged stuff.

 

[Aunt Bea]

In my area the Wegmans grocery chain has worked hard to market its store brand to be the preferred choice. In many cases when they develop a store brand item they drop the name brand item. People tend to be total converts when they become Wegmans shoppers. It is an interesting approach.

The Americas Choice or Americas Best that the Price Chopper stores use for some in house items is also very good.

For me I shop price and if the quality is comparable I always go for the cheaper option. Also as i get older I seem to be buying less bottles and cans in favor of fresh items so the brand is not as much of an issue.

 

[spork]

For some reason, this reminds me of Andy's recent Dunkin' Donuts thread...
The label may not be what we think it is, including so-called generic or store brands.

Businesswise, there're compelling reasons for the chokepoint of supermarkets to "make" and sell their own "brand." It's a double whammy. They not only reap much of the production/distribution margins, but they're also able to leverage that cost advantage against brands. My local Safeway chain stopped stocking my preferred package of frozen seafood. Why? Because that freezer is now almost entirely filled with their store brand label.

The issue for me on this good question, nikki, is not so much one of quality, but loss of diversity and choice on market shelves. I do buy them. But they scare me. There is nothing behind the label. It's just pasta, but it feels like I'm buying a mortgage-backed securities note...

 

[Aunt Bea]

Spork,

Your comment on the lack of diversity is an excellent one. It reminds me of a recent book that indicates the worlds food supply is primarily controlled by 5 companies and seven families.

This is a sobering thought.

You gonna eat that last piece a soylent green or can I have it?

 

[jusnikki]

For some reason, this reminds me of Andy's recent Dunkin' Donuts thread...
The label may not be what we think it is, including so-called generic or store brands.

Businesswise, there're compelling reasons for the chokepoint of supermarkets to "make" and sell their own "brand." It's a double whammy. They not only reap much of the production/distribution margins, but they're also able to leverage that cost advantage against brands. My local Safeway chain stopped stocking my preferred package of frozen seafood. Why? Because that freezer is now almost entirely filled with their store brand label.

The issue for me on this good question, nikki, is not so much one of quality, but loss of diversity and choice on market shelves. I do buy them. But they scare me. There is nothing behind the label. It's just pasta, but it feels like I'm buying a mortgage-backed securities note...

Great point.

 

[Timothy]

Here's one example of "What exactly is it"

Win-Dixie brand cat food. I buy one can per/day worth of the small cans of cat food for my outside cat, which I then mix with his dry food.

The name brand stuff has little pieces of *meat* in it that is in a gravy. Tuna looks like flakes of tuna. For sure, it's the part of the tuna that humans don't eat, but it's probably really tuna.

The Win-Dixie brand that is one-cent per/can cheaper is like brown paste stuff that all smells the exact same regardless of what the can says. "Chicken and Giblets"...yeah, right. More brown pasty stuff.

I think the cats call the brown stuff "Soylent Brown". Rumor has it that it's made from dead cats...Movie coming...

Hey, my little Kitty deserves the best. I pay the extra cent and get him the good stuff!