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It’s official: We’re living in the golden age of store-brand items. Once dubbed “off-brand” or “generic,” retailers have spent years investing in R&D to create their own lines of quality and budget-friendly products,and we’re now seeing (and tasting) those delicious results lining our favorite store’s shelves. Wander the aisles at almost any grocer —digital or IRL —and you’ll find these boxes, bags, and jars right alongside the name brands you know and love — oftentimes for cheaper.
What exactly are these store-brand (or private-label) products? Where can you find them and, even more importantly, how do they compare —both in price and quality —to their name-brand counterparts? I set out to answer these very crucial questions to help you navigate the ever-expanding number of store-brand products.
What Exactly Is a Store Brand?
As the name suggests, a store brand is a line of products made for and sold at a specific retailer, like Aldi, Costco, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, or Walmart, to name a few. Conversely, name-brand products, like Lay’s, Kraft, and Jell-O can be found at almost any retailer or convenience store. For instance, if you’re shopping in the cereal aisle at Target, you might find boxes of Good & Gather Organic Honey Nut Hoops (one of Target’s store brands) next to Honey Nut Cheerios (the name-brand option).
The number of store brands sold at a particular retailer can range from one, like Trader Joe’s and Costco (which sells its items under Kirkland Signature label), or into the double-digits, as is the case at Aldi (Specially Selected, Simply Nature, and Never Any! are just a few of the brands Aldi owns).
Similarly, the names of these store brands will vary depending on the retailer. Some will use the exact same name as the grocery retailer itself, again like Trader Joe’s and also Kroger (which has a Kroger line of products in addition to others); other retailers will choose names that reflect an image, personality, or value they want to convey. For example, Walmart’s most affordable line of store-brand products is named Great Value.
How Do Store-Brand Foods Differ from Name-Brand Options?
You might have even heard of a store-brand item as a so-called “knock off,” “dupe,” or “copycat.” Or maybe you’ve seen one of the “the Great Value version of” memes (which is … yes, an insult). Many store-brand products are shockingly similar to their name-brand equivalents, and even produced by the very same companies behind those name brands (looking at you, Trader Joe’s). It seems counterintuitive, but this practice is increasingly popular for some name brands looking to keep their shelf space at grocery retailers, including store-brand dominant ones like Aldi, Lidl, and Trader Joe’s.
In others cases, though, grocery stores are partnering directly with suppliers around the country and globe to create their own products that shoppers can’t find anywhere else. In recent years, retailers like Target and Walmart have launched entirely new store brands in an attempt to do just that, while others like Kroger are revamping their existing brands.
You’ll notice, store brand products are often substantially cheaper than the same-size name-brand items,and there are a few reason for that. Shoppers are often willing to pay a premium for a well-known brand so companies who make those brands are able to charge more. Those same companies could also have higher manufacturing, marketing, and distribution costs, which add to the final retail price.
I compared prices for half a dozen popular store-brand groceries across six retailers — Aldi, Costco, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart — to their name-brand companions (using Target prices as the “control” for the name brands). As you can see from the table above, the store brand was cheaper at every turn, and in some cases by a few dollars per item. Note: Costco items are sold in larger, bulk sizes so quantities are also included.
5 of My Favorite Store-Brand Foods
As is the case for even name-brand items, brand loyalty will only get you so far. I’ve opted for many store brands (especially at my usual grocery stops, Trader Joe’s and Target) —not just because they’re a cheaper option, though that’s a major selling point, too, but because they simply taste great. Here are just a few of my favorites.
1. Good & Gather Tortilla Chips
While I love the earthiness of both Food Should Taste Good and Target’s flax-sprinkled blue corn tortilla chips, the Good & Gather Blue Corn with Flax Seeds Tortilla Chips are the ones that end up in my cart on the regular. The sweet corn shines through with the perfect amount of salt that makes these chips ideal for dipping or a shortcut for easy chilaquiles.
Buy: Good & Gather Blue Corn with Flax Seeds Tortilla Chips, $4.39 for 12 ounces
2. Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade is one of my absolute must-haves and has yet to let me down, with a truly fresh squeezed tartness that I find lacking in the slightly too-sweet lemonade (and taste-test runner-up) made by Simply Lemonade. Try a sip and you’ll feel like you just got a fresh squeezed cup from the local fair/baseball stadium/theme park.
Find it in stores: Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, $3.99 for 52 ounces at Trader Joe’s
3. Gather Steam-In-Bag Vegetables
The convenience and freshness of both Bird’s Eye and Target’s Good & Gather both get high points from me, but ultimately the Good & Gather Steam-In-Bag Seasoned Vegetables are my forever go-to. The flavor profile of the seasonings are creative and not overly salty, while also super versatile no matter how you choose to cook with them.
Buy: Good & Gather Steam-In-Bag Seasoned Vegetables, $3.29 for 14 ounces at Target
4. Favorite Day Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
I’m pretty picky about vanilla ice cream; if a brand’s vanilla isn’t good, the rest of the flavors can’t quite be trusted. So let me just tell you that Favorite Day Vanilla Bean Ice Cream is very trustworthy, with a smooth (not at all gummy) texture, plenty of vanilla beans, and a creamy richness that is less icy than Dreyer’s (or Edy’s, depending on where you live) .
Buy: Favorite Day Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, $3.49 for 1.5 quarts at Target
5. Trader Joe’s Bacon
Okay, I’m picky about my bacon too, and Trader Joe’s Uncured Black Forest Bacon is basically the only bacon I’ll buy, even if I do often love the slightly saltier thick cut bacon from Hormel. Once you fry it up, you’ll find that it’s not just the crispy, fatty texture that’ll convert you, but the thick crust of spices and sugar that makes a BLT feel like an event.
Find it in stores: Trader Joe’s Uncured Black Forest Bacon, $6.49 for 12 ounces at Trader Joe’s
What are your favorite store-brand products? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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