Let’s consider store vs name brand foods. Does it really and truly make a difference which one you buy?
There’s an incredible variety of foods on your average grocery store shelf, with prices all over the map. It’s truly a veritable jungle! One thing you will quickly notice, especially if you are trying to make sure all your budget numbers add up at the end of the month, is that many if not most types of food on the shelf come in a couple of different forms.
There are name brands (Like Heinz, Del Monte, Maple Leaf), and then there is a cheaper store brand that is unique to the chain store you’re buying from. Because of the lower cost, you would be inclined to buy the cheaper version. But – is the store brand of lower quality than the name brand, or is it just as good as the name brand? That’s the big unknown!
Where Do the Store Brands Come From?
In the case of store brands, the simple truth is: in many cases, store brands are exactly the same product as name brands.
Yes, you heard that right. The stores do not go out, build a manufacturing plant just to manufacture store-brand soup, then to out to someone’s back pasture to grab some cheaper low-quality mushrooms that they use to make your cheaper store-brand mushroom soup!
No, they come from the same places that the name brands come from. They are probably made by name-brand manufacturers. Of course, the labeling and packaging are different.
The only thing you do not know when you buy a store brand is WHICH manufacturer has made the particular store brand product you are buying. So…
It’s a Matter of Taste
Going back to our mushroom soup example… I’m not really recommending mushroom soup as a healthy food that you should be chomping at the bit to buy, either a store brand or a name brand. It’s very high in sodium. But the majority of people in North America have probably eaten more than their fair share of canned Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. There’s a flavor that is unique to that brand.
Heinz and Swanson also make mushroom soup. But having tasted other canned mushroom soups, if I’m going to eat a creamy mushroom soup for some reason, I want it to taste like the old favorite!
So if I come to a store brand of mushroom soup sitting right next to Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, I’m going to go for Campbell’s. I’m not going to buy the generic or store brand just because it’s 20 cents cheaper, on the hope that it was made on the same assembly line with exactly the same ingredients as the Campbell’s version! I’ve been there, done that, I’ve always liked Campbell’s better! So it’s truly a matter of taste. But…
Is It a Matter of Quality?
It’s not a matter of quality in the strictest sense. In other words, every product sold in the United States, Canada, and I assume most countries, has to pass the same rigid quality standards of health and safety. So it’s not a matter of safety.
“Quality” means different things to different people. I’ve noticed (I think, but who knows for sure?) that there is more likely to be a “woody stem” in store-brand or generic frozen broccoli than in the Green Giant brand.
You need to read the fine print! It might very well be that the store brand has a different grade rating than the name brand. Green Giant might be “Grade A Fancy.” The store brand that is $2.00 cheaper might be “Grade B Assorted Sizes.” So you’re comparing “apples to oranges,” so to speak, the products aren’t actually the same.
Store brands, for the most part, don’t have any particular branding or quality expectation to live up to. In my opinion, that can make a difference.
As an example, the other week we bought a store brand of cottage cheese that was considerably cheaper than the name brands sitting right next to them. My wife commented upon trying it, “This is quite watery.” And yes, it was exceptionally watery. We then bought a couple of name-brand tubs that were a very nice “proper” consistency. So our first reaction was, “The name brand is better cottage cheese.” But then we went again and decided to try the no-name brand once more. Was it watery this time? No, this time the consistency was great, just like the name brands!
So could “consistency” be an issue in some cases? It would appear that it could. One time a product might meet expectations, next time it might not. Name brands have a reputation to live up to!
So Is It Worth the Cost Savings?
While you don’t know the origin of store brand products, as mentioned above, they do in fact have to pass safety standards just like the name brands. So you are not more likely to get sick with store brands. You are not any more likely to be poisoned! They don’t have more harmful bacteria. They aren’t any more likely to have remnants of dead insects, or anything like that! They still have valid expiry dates that the store needs to abide by, just like all the name brands.
The truth – as I’ve been able to determine, in any case – is that 90% of the time, it makes no difference if you buy a name brand or a store brand. So 90% of the time, you may as well buy the cheaper store brand! It’s clearly more budget-friendly! Beggars can’t always be choosers! If your budget dictates store brand, you may have to buy store brand!
You always have to read labels. All products have to have labels, with very few, if any, exceptions! If it’s not a health issue, then it’s only a budget issue. If it’s a budget issue, buy the store brand! Why not? Your body doesn’t know the difference, it’s your pocketbook that will thank you.
In Summary…
Most of the time it doesn’t matter whether you buy a store brand or a name brand. They’re made by the same manufacturers. 90% of the time you won’t notice the difference. If you don’t know in advance that there’s a difference, it’s worth trying the store brand.
If you don’t like it, you can simply note that and not buy it in the future! It’s as simple as that. Don’t be so stuck up as to say, “I only buy name brands!” Your body doesn’t know or care, but your wallet will thank you.
If you have had any experiences worth sharing about using name brands vs store brands, or any comments or questions about anything in this post, feel free to share in the comment section below!
