i hate it when they do this the store brand rarely
taste the same

And what's worse is when the packaging is so close to the original that you mistakenly grab the store brand when you're in a hurry.

I'm generally happy with the store brands, especially when it'll save us a fistful of dollars.

I used to avoid store brands but I have been buying some more often now as I find them as good or nearly as good as the name brand. Not always true but mostly, at least for me.

Publix Premium ice cream (especially the maple walnut) is some of the best store-bought ice cream I have ever had. The half gallon tub is a true half gallon, 64 oz., not the 59 oz. that so many name brands have gone to for the "half gallon." Frequently on sale for $3.50, which is less than a quart container of the name brands.

The ice cream is so good that it prompted my friend (a member of SIGforum, so you know that this is true!) to call Publix and ask who their supplier is, so he can look for that brand when he's in his summer home, which is located in an area where Publix does not have any stores.

The reply from Publix: "We make our own ice cream."

Everything that I have tried with the Publix Premium store brand label has been excellent. The frozen pizza is the best frozen pizza I have found.

Another store brand that is usually outstanding quality is Costco's Kirkland Signature. Is there better bacon to be found anywhere, other than Jeff Yarchin's karmas?

We use a Keurig brewer at home and find that the Costco brand of K-cups is as good as, or better than, any other brand for our taste, and at a significantly lower cost. Going from memory I think we pay in the neighborhood of forty-two bucks for a carton of 120 K-cups. The Pacific Bold variety is a good, strong, flavorful coffee. So much flavor in fact, that I now enjoy it straight; no more half-and-half.

I also find that Walmart Great Value products are middle-of-the-road when compared to major brands. Neither better nor worse than average, but at lower cost. Bonus of buying these, I get to do my people-watching at the Walmart store and parking lot. That alone is worth while!

I like when they have both so I have options. Replacement is NOT cool.

Many years ago, my father spend a summer working at a canning plant in his hometown. He found it very interesting that as the filled cans moved down to the labeling area, they were separated into several different lines. Some had name brands and some were store brands. Same product, just different labels.

There are those store brands that have no brand-name equivalent.

There is nothing as tempting as Kroger-brand French onion and sour cream chip dip. A tub of that and a bag of wavy lays and I'll gain five pounds.

And stop making the store brand of Preparation-H, look like Colgate Toothpaste...

I often use store brands unless I know the name brand equivalent is not just better, but enough better to justify the increase in price.

There should be choice. I love the store brands though, especially the ones that come from the exact same place as the name brand stuff with a package change. Sometimes though the store brands come from some place totally different though and you can definitely tell.

quote:

Originally posted by ajensen:
Many years ago, my father spend a summer working at a canning plant in his hometown. He found it very interesting that as the filled cans moved down to the labeling area, they were separated into several different lines. Some had name brands and some were store brands. Same product, just different labels.

That was something I learned in elementary school. We used to take a field trip to tour Pillsbury bakery, and one of Pillsbury's brands is Green Giant. Same veggies that went into the Green Giant cans went into a number of other store labels cans.

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:

quote:

Originally posted by ajensen:
Many years ago, my father spend a summer working at a canning plant in his hometown. He found it very interesting that as the filled cans moved down to the labeling area, they were separated into several different lines. Some had name brands and some were store brands. Same product, just different labels.

That was something I learned in elementary school. We used to take a field trip to tour Pillsbury bakery, and one of Pillsbury's brands is Green Giant. Same veggies that went into the Green Giant cans went into a number of other store labels cans.

Same thing way back when I worked in a bakery, just change the bags for different name brands or store brands.

quote:

Originally posted by cobrajet:

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:

quote:

Originally posted by ajensen:
Many years ago, my father spend a summer working at a canning plant in his hometown. He found it very interesting that as the filled cans moved down to the labeling area, they were separated into several different lines. Some had name brands and some were store brands. Same product, just different labels.

That was something I learned in elementary school. We used to take a field trip to tour Pillsbury bakery, and one of Pillsbury's brands is Green Giant. Same veggies that went into the Green Giant cans went into a number of other store labels cans.

Same thing way back when I worked in a bakery, just change the bags for different name brands or store brands.

In some cases store brands may just be repackaged (AKA Private Labelled) versions of the store brand. But nowadays they are often intentionally made with different specs/standards as to not hurt their own name brand.

I visited a bakery in Los Angeles that had over 50 unique UPCs for just a few styles of bread. Same bread, different label.

I've been in water bottling facilities that bottle for dozens of in-house and branded items. All the same water, different label.

hannaford and market basket stopped carrying geisha chunk light tuna and replaced it with the store brand and it is like mush thank god i can buy direct from the distributor

Some stores store brands are good, but other stores store brands not so good!
One of the problems of an old mind is remembering which one is good?

You should stay out of Aldi and Trader Joe's then.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
You should stay out of Aldi and Trader Joe's then.

i do

Does anyone wonder where Costco comes up with Kirkland brand? You don't believe they have their own manufacturing plants do you?
They approach major manufacturers of name brands and make them a proposition.
So your running two shifts now. Wanna run three?
Have the third shift make the same product but put Kirkland label on it.