Do You Prefer Name Brands?

[gamboolman]

Depends....typically our first go too is Name Brand if..... it's made in USA....

We want to buy American when we can, and don't mind paying more for a good quality product.

Key is Quality..... I will admit that we do buy foreign items based on our assessment of quality.

But if we can buy American - we do and glad to spend any extra to do so....

It is not easy to do this...... makes me sad to see

But thats just me...... YMMV

 

[MRG]

I use generic if they're as good. Kroger Private Selection thick bacon is much thinner than Farmlands.


Years ago I worked in auto parts. Walker mufflers and pipes were a premium brand. We received Walker pipes from the factory with NAPA, Sears, Kmart labels. Same pipes different labels. Of course we had to remove the other brand labels cause we sold Walker pipes.

 

[ownyourfuture]

I've always used for chicken. About a year ago I needed some, but they were out. I bought the Cub Foods generic & found I liked it better than the 'original'
Better taste & 40.00% cheaper!

But that's not to say I use generic for everything. I insist on 3M scrub sponges, scotch tape, etc (I also own 3M stock)

 

[jazz4cash]

I go for value. I prefer name brands but if a generic is nearly same quality for a lower price, I'll try it and decide. I almost never found an Aldi product that disappointed me (e.g. I could tell by looking if it was worth trying). If you haven't been to Aldi lately, you'd be surprised how many name brands they carry. Also generic, store brand, and name brand can all be distinct levels of quality/value. Or not.

 

[COcheesehead]

I have some insight into consumer packaged goods industries: food, coffee, cosmetics, etc.
I can tell you with certain products like meat, the packager of the name brand is exactly the same as the store brand. Honey is the same way. Coffee is sometimes as well, though you might get a less expensive bean blend with the store brand.

 

[GravitySucks]

I shop primarily at Wegman's. They are almost all store brand and I don't think it's as good. If something sells in the name brand, a few months later, up pops a house brand and then no more name brand.

I only care what other people do because of this. I lose the ability to buy what I want because Wegman's caters to what the most people want to do, of course.

I shop Wegmans too but I don't see that isdue. I'll usually buy Wegmans toilet paper but splurge on the one with a Bear on the package. They carry store brand cereal that I like but if there's a coupon for a Post or GM they have that too.
I don't see anything but store brands at Aldi's though.

 

[Walt34]

I've found that very often I can't tell the difference, and in some cases the store brand is actually better than the name brand, as with Kleenex tissues and the Martin's/Giant store brand. Decades ago the Giant brand powdered iced tea mix was better than Nestle's, at least to my taste, but I haven't seen that on the shelf in quite a while.

Sometimes the products are the same. Talking with a lady at the grocery store, she said her brother worked in a canning factory and he told her the products were often identical and all they did was change labels - store brand, Green Giant, etc.

So for me I'll try the store brand at least once. True, there are sometimes dramatic differences in quality but often not, and sometimes the store brand is even better. Says I while munching on Martin's store brand potato chips. YMMV.

 

[Bestwifeever]

On the other hand—millennials do love a lot of name brands per this article: Millennials favorite brands - Business Insider (50 top brands with millennials, not a click-through article but ranked 50 to 1: top five in reverse order are Amazon, Target, Samsung, Nike, and Apple)

 

[exnavynuke]

Yep, all depends on the product. I'll take Wal-Mart canned tomatoes/vegetables over paying around double for the Del Monte etc versions of the same stuff. I'll buy Velveeta over there knock-off any day though.

I'll try store brand items if the price difference is significant over-time, and then I'll stick with them if the quality is there too.

 

[mystang52]

As we've gotten older, and frankly more financially comfortable, I tend to buy more name brand items. I get cluster headaches, and wow Excedrin is a virtual miracle drug for me. I suspect generic brand would do the same, but these headaches are so debilitating that I won't take a chance. Similarly, we prefer name brands for other OTC medications. Because we need them rarely, I see no reason to skimp.
Over the years we have found real differences in name brands for food/soda/paper products that we also eschew store brands.

 

[Montecfo]

Seems most of us are the same: depends on the product.

I do find that with grocery stores so competitive in this area, you have many many choices and prices.

In my immediate area, I can ( and do) conveniently shop at all of these:

Wal-Mart
SAM'S
Costco
Safeway
Giant
Wegmans
Food Lion
Aldi
LIDL (newest and some really good values)
Trader Joe
Harris Teeter

 

[aja8888]

One place where I always stick with the name brand is my diet cola addiction. I've rarely found a store or generic brand that tastes as good. So instead I shop the "buy two get three free" type sales. And then add to the wall of 12 packs in my garage.

I agree here! There is no substitute for A & W Diet Root Beer that even comes close.

 

[Philliefan33]

My dad drive a semi for a grocery distributor. One of his stops was at the Lay’s potato chip plant. He was given a tour one day. While on the tour, the packaging line stopped briefly while the bags were changed from “Lay’s” to “Wegmans” potato chips. Absolutely no difference in the product.

I shop mostly at Costco and Wegmans, and use many of their store-brand items. Where I don’t, it’s because I’ve tried the store brand and found it lacking somehow.

 

[Music Lover]

My dad drive a semi for a grocery distributor. One of his stops was at the Lay’s potato chip plant. He was given a tour one day. While on the tour, the packaging line stopped briefly while the bags were changed from “Lay’s” to “Wegmans” potato chips. Absolutely no difference in the product.

And of course, that practice applies to hundreds of products.

 

[bhoferp]

When I was a kid, I went on a factory tour. We watched as vegetables were put in cans and happened to see the end of one run for the name brand and then the next cans (with the same vegetables inside) got house brand labels put on them. Never forgot it and frequently use house brands. It does seem that now there is a lower level. Around here Best Choice products are usually fine, but Always Save seems like a lower quality.

 

[FANOFJESUS]

When I was a kid, I went on a factory tour. We watched as vegetables were put in cans and happened to see the end of one run for the name brand and then the next cans (with the same vegetables inside) got house brand labels put on them. Never forgot it and frequently use house brands. It does seem that now there is a lower level. Around here Best Choice products are usually fine, but Always Save seems like a lower quality.

I think Always Save is lower also. Not up to my quality level.

 

[JoeWras]

I tried some HDX batteries (Home Depot brand). I don't feel like they lasted as well as the 2 big names.

So, just to torture myself, I ordered a few Amazon Basic brands. I'm pretty sure they come straight from the same plant in China as the HDX. We'll see, but I'm betting they won't last as long.

There are some generics I really like in food, and some I detest. For example, I will NOT buy any generic peanut butter. I swear they use the shells. Most cereals taste like they accidentally shredded some cardboard in with them.

Speaking of food. Does anyone remember the first try at house brands, i.e. generic? I remember when my mom came home with some these, I laughed for about 10 minutes straight:

 

[Ready]

My experience with the Kirkland products at Costco is that they not only match the quality of name brands, but in many cases they are actually better.

I like Trader Joe's as well, since most of their products are made without artificial ingredients, but they are still reasonably priced.

I find everything at Whole Foods to be overpriced so I avoid shopping there.

 

[GravitySucks]

Hellmans Mayonnaise.I
I won't try a store brand or another name brand again.
Extra buck and a half every year or so, but hell , we're all rich here.

 

[marko]

DW eventually ended up where her Dr recommends a daily OTC Zyrtec (allergy med). It runs about $25 for a month's supply at the local drug store.

We found a generic at BJ's/Costco that had almost a year's supply (300 tablets) for $15. Same result for her and she's happy with it.

 

[Dtail]

Personally I think most generic brands ARE name brands, just not under the big name. I've had some experiences where the generic brand was of significantly lower quality, but most times they are indistinguishable. In those cases I'll take the price savings of the generic anytime.


One place where I always stick with the name brand is my diet cola addiction. I've rarely found a store or generic brand that tastes as good. So instead I shop the "buy two get three free" type sales. And then add to the wall of 12 packs in my garage.

+1
Publix usually has a BOGO sale every other week on Coke (zero) products.

 

[Amethyst]

Indeed! Cheese is one of the few items where BJs house brands (Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen) are not only not-equivalent to name brands...they are downright awful. Well, their shredded mozzarella is pretty good. But don't even go near their Swiss cheese. It is like eating Elmer's glue that congealed into sheets.

Most of the time, we like BJs house brands, especially meat/produce/paper products. Their paper towels are great, and much cheaper than Bounty even when there's a coupon.

Am I going to go broke paying $3.29 for cheese instead of $2.98? No.

 

[marko]

Most of the time, we like BJs house brands, especially meat/produce/paper products. Their paper towels are great, and much cheaper than Bounty even when there's a coupon.

[/QUOTE]

What I love about BJs is their house brand khaki slacks! Expandable waist, so I get a size smaller and they fit and look like an $80 pair from Nordstroms....all for the low, low price of $19.99!

Almost cheaper to throw them out than to wash them! Seriously, at that price I don't worry about them getting dirty, ruined or whatever.

 

[Dtail]

Indeed! Cheese is one of the few items where BJs house brands (Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen) are not only not-equivalent to name brands...they are downright awful. Well, their shredded mozzarella is pretty good. But don't even go near their Swiss cheese. It is like eating Elmer's glue that congealed into sheets.

Most of the time, we like BJs house brands, especially meat/produce/paper products. Their paper towels are great, and much cheaper than Bounty even when there's a coupon.

OTE=davebarnes;2051459] Am I going to go broke paying $3.29 for cheese instead of $2.98? No.

[/QUOTE]
Good to know on the towels. We only have used Bounty with the coupon. Relatively new to BJ's, so still figuring it out on their deals.

 

[6miths]

Not really unless I can get them at same or better prices than generic. In clothes definitely 'generic' except for my Levis 501s but I always get those in bulk at half price or less MSRP. I actively avoid 'organic' foods. I much prefer the inorganic and helps greatly with keeping weight down.