Archer Farms chocolate ice cream from Target beat out Haagen Dazs. Kanko*/Flickr
I’m guessing you have eaten generic groceries before. But did you know that in a scientific test, generics equalled or surpassed brands two-thirds of the time?
I recently talked to Sue Perry, deputy editor of ShopSmart magazine, a publication put out by Consumer Reports, about the rising quality of generic groceries. If you have not taken a chance on generic grocery brands, in-house labels are better than ever before. In a scientific test of 21 products, 14 generic labels “were better if not as good,” Perry said. “That’s a pretty good track record.”
Brand names were clear winners in just seven of the categories, and generics names pulled ahead in three categories. The take away message? Generics are more often than not just as good as their better advertised, higher priced brand name counterparts.
But don’t think a generic is going to give you the exact same product, Perry warns. Some generics are made by the same manufacturer as the brand name, and some generics have identical active ingredients. But the recipe will be different and the amount of active ingredient may be different. The quality of the active ingredient may be a factor, too.
If you are feeling adventurous, or if your budget demands it, generic grocery brands cost an average of 25% less, Perry said. Some generics were as much as 60% less – no coupon clipping required.
Avid coupon clippers, on the other hand, will laugh when you tell them how much you save buying generics. My blogger friend Melissa Hurst of SavingCentsWithSense.com has nearly sworn off generics because they are too expensive compared to what she pays when a brand name goes on sale and she has a coupon.
“Since watching deals, using coupons, and stocking up on good deals (of items that we need), I have spent less on our groceries, while buying name brand products,” Hurst wrote in a recent blog post.
So what brands stood out for the ShopSmart crew? Archer Farms chocolate ice cream, which is sold at Target, beat out every other chocolate ice cream, even Haagen Dazs. Similarly, no generic held a flame to Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise. For more results of the blind taste test, check the October issue of .
What brand name products do I swear by? Cheerios, Aquaphor Healing Ointment for dry skin, Sorrento string cheese, Saran plastic wrap, and Gold Metal flour.
On the flip side, I regularly buy generic over the counter and prescribed medicine. I’m comfortable with most generic label baking items and canned goods. I eat generic oatmeal and orange juice, soothe my throat with store-name cough drops and clean my teeth with whatever toothpaste is $1 or less.
Readers were split on generics when I last wrote about them (see link below).
The draw of generics is, of course, the savings. (Grocers are going out of their way to prove this.) Many grocery stores stand behind their brand, offering a money-back guarantee if you take a chance and are unhappy. Check with your store manager or look for the policy online.
I have a love-hate relationship with generics. They urge me to compare prices and active ingredients with brand names, and often deliver everything that the brand name does at a lower price.
When they fall short, however, generics leave an emotional and financial hole that wouldn’t have existed had you ponied up for the brand. I trusted you, and all you are is a roll of plastic wrap that doesn’t cling!
Welcome to Niconail! I’m Niko, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
Wegmans brands are excellent, especially the tuna-it’s a bigger can than commercial brands and much cheaper……….their only item I didn’t care for was orange juice, I’ll stick with Tropicana!
LOL! We love the Wegmans OJ, and the peanut butter rocks. But the best is Dr. W — better than any “pepper” drink!
I imagine my age will be showing with my comments, but I always compare brand and generic products, especially with canned tomatoes and beans (no salt added variety), and compare price difference when I have a coupon for the brand product. I update my coupons regularly, read the ads for markets and drugstores for their weekly specials, then make sure I have coupons for those items when shopping. Since I’ve developed a habit of doing these things, it’s not a problem, and well worth the advance planning. As for Cheerios… they have become so sugary that I prefer Trader Joe’s O’s, which are not so sweet. I don’t drink much fruit juice, as most have high sugar content. I prefer seasonal fresh fruit. In case you don’t know, Best Foods is the West Coast brand for Hellman’s mayo.
Generics wouldn’t be what they are if they were as good in general, in my book. I’m leery of X-brands; quality isn’t the same any more than porterhouse and round steak are the same. But before the deluge, a stew is a stew; good cooking depends on the cook. I just remember, when scanning the shelves, how the canned peaches crunched when eaten.
I used to work at a place that bottled body wash, shampoo, etc. We used to bottle Jean Nate and after we bottled it we ran the CVS brand right behind it, same stuff in a different bottle.
@EllieD: What about Cheerios in its original incarnation, plain and unsweetened though somewhat salty? I can’t taste the salt; that is, it doesn’t grab the attention of my taste buds, but I have read the label. However, I thought I’d heard General Mills reduced the salt content. I haven’t checked that out.
@Diane ~ After looking at the labels on 3 different incarnations of Cheerios, I chose the Original, just to see what everyone was talking about. Maybe it’s just my palate, but they seemed very sweet to me. Because I’m careful about sodium, fat and sugars 95% of the time, I don’t worry about the occasional indulgence. I’m using up the Cheerios as a sweet after-dinner treat!
@EllieD: Wow–I would never describe Cheerios as “sweet” or “sugary.” That’s why I thought you were speaking of the newer variations rather than the original “no frills added” product. I wonder how other readers of this blog find original Cheerios to be.