Generic/Store Brands or Name Brand: Which is better?

[Croconaw]

Do you tend to lean more towards the name brand when buying something, or do you opt for the cheaper alternative? There are a few categories for this, but I’ll focus on foods and clothing.

My opinion is likely the unpopular one for foods, but I’ll say it anyway: Some foods do taste differently depending on the brand, which makes them better or worse. There is a local dairy brand that I simply cannot drink. Their milk is way too strong and just isn’t good. For foods, I always opt for the name brand. However, I’m very picky when it comes to food, so this is just my opinion. I prefer to stick to what I know, and the name brands are just what I know.

For clothing, my views are a bit different. You obviously get what you pay for in terms of quality, and sometimes you can tell how cheaply things are made simply by looking at the stitching. I don’t form much of an opinion on this because my wardrobe is very minimalistic. I haven’t tried much in terms of brands for clothing, but I can understand the reasons for choosing a cheaper alternative here.

What are your opinions regarding this? For me, it really depends what it is.

 

[Snowesque]

Depends on the product, though generally name-brand and store-brand products are exactly the same for groceries. Where I work we make an exact copy of Red Bull, though it's named/packaged different (and also owned by Red Bull).

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

A lot of grocery store brand things seem to be very good now.. I almost kinda prefer it because it's usually cheaper!

 

[xSuperMario64x]

when it comes to groceries I pretty much always go for offbrand stuff. I only buy name brand if I can't get an off brand equivalent or if the off brand version sucks. for instance, I buy most of my stuff from Kroger but I hate their brand of General Tso sauce and cream cheese, for those two I will only buy name brand.

as for clothes, I get pretty much all of my clothes second hand so I don't really wear name brand stuff at all.

 

[amemome]

It depends on the thing for me. I think medicine stuff like advil and tylenol I'll just get the generic brand and cross-check the percent of active ingredient. For most other things, I'll get the generic to see if it's any good, then make a decision from there.

I always get band-aid brand bandages because I noticed the generic's adhesive is weak and the bandage falls off much quicker. Same thing for crayons, I get Crayola if I can (sorry RoseArt fans... I just can't).

For clothes I think I end up choosing brand stuff if I know the brand is somewhat reputable? I haven't thought too deeply about clothes.

 

[LadyDestani]

For food, I have different preferences based on the specific item. Sometimes I think the store brand tastes better and sometimes I try it and I just don't like it. For example, I prefer to buy Philadelphia brand cream cheese. I've tried the store brand and it tastes okay but I hate the texture. It's too oily. However, I love the Kroger brand shredded cheeses. They taste better than some of the name brands in my opinion and they're cheaper.

I never pay attention to clothing brands at all. If I like it and it fits me, I buy it. I wouldn't buy anything that had asymmetrical seams (unless it was designed to be that way) or was clearly falling apart, but otherwise I don't care. I'm not hard on my clothing so even cheap t-shirts hold up for many years with me.

 

[nightglow]

Food wise, sometimes off brand tastes better, but it isn't very often. However I am willing to try it at least once. If I like it, I just stick with that. If it tastes close but not icky, then I go with it. Otherwise it's name brand for me.
And it does turn out sometimes a name brand factory makes the product labeled as a store brand. They strike up a deal about it and the recipe is changed a little.

Clothing, I don't care about brand. I am at home most of the time now and I'm too tired and in too much pain to care much about clothing. I just wear what fits and feels comfortable. I do have quite a few v-neck graphic Ts I like.
Shoes, I just pick out what my wide flat feet fits in and feels comfortable which is almost always off brand. My shoes never last long regardless of brand because of my flintstone feet so I don't like spending much on them. And many name brands make my feet hurt more or they make me feet itch while they are on.
Actually my spouse picked me up a new pair of off brand purple crocs today that feel pretty good. My old ones were so thin in the sole I could feel the heat and coolness of pavement through it and rocks were starting to poke through. I also recently got a pair of off brand tennis shoes for winter. They are purple too.

 

[Corrie]

It depends on the product. Certain things need to be name brand since their quality and/or taste is better but a lot of the time, I buy the off brand. Things like canned tomatoes are just fine to buy off brand but things like toilet paper need to be name brand. I recently found out that No Name ketchup and peanut butter taste just as good as the name brand which is epic. Saving money! But then Compliments brand ketchup is horrific lol.

Edit: I actually bought an off brand Doc Martens that are more comfortable to me than actual Doc Martens. It's awesome lol

 

[Chrysopal]

I LOVE wraps. Usually spinach with a healthish ceaser dressing and feta. I'll add quinoa or rice if I need more protein or carbs, maybe marble cheese. I love to cook shrimp in some butter, garlic, dill and maybe a bit of lemon, throw it into a wrap for something different! Or chicken fried in coconut oil.

ANYWAYS​

I buy the name brand wraps and i will explain why. The name brand product is stocked above the no name, or store brand. The price for store brand wraps is maybe 40 Cents lower. I'll pay a few cents more for name brand.
I new someone once who worked in a palm oil factory in Saskatchewan Canada. Palm oil is most likely in sugar cereal, cheap chocolates, no name dressings, palm oil is a mass produced inexpensive additive. My friend told stories of the days in this factory, like how the thick oil covered the floors, machines, his boots were covered in dirt filled palm oil. Cleaning huge machines that process oil is not easy, workers in the factory would simply rather remove a drowned rat then dispose of gallons of money earning palm oil and properly sterilize the machines. Yes, there is scheduled cleaning, but the rat was just removed, and there are many rats or rodents around food and especially a factory. I do love sour scream and onion potato chips tho.. brands like Hardbite are trust worthy but I love the bad brands of chips...

Food should come from places we've heard of and contain ingredients we are happy with. I will buy no name or store brand non food items, and if I must I'll buy food items. But I'll always pay that little bit more for name brand products that are properly handled. That being said, not all name brands are good...

Thank you for reading my rant.

 

[Midoriya]

I'd say it really depends on the cost and quality of the product. Some store brand products are better than name brand products, and vice versa, for different reasons.

 

[Kitsuragi]

Depends! For essential things like milk, butter, eggs and bread, store brand is just as good. Chips can be fine. But we got some store brand soy sauce and I've never had a more disgusting soy sauce in my life. Had to get Kikkoman's. Same with store brand cheese crackers!

Most of the time store brand is alright. Not 100%. But it's great for saving money.

 

[tiffanistarr]

Who’s got name brand money anymore??? If i’m buying some processed box crap then i don’t see where spending more for name brand things.

Most generic items are literally the same thing just a different label slapped on.

If i’m going to spend more on things it’s going to be things like organic things, organic produce, more biodegradable items, organic typically more expensive cleaning supplies, waste free products.

However if im in the mood to down some unhealthy chips i don’t care if it’s lays potato chips or cheap generic ones.

I will also always stand by the fact that walmart’s brand Great Value Dr. Thunder will FOREVER always be better than Dr. Pepper. If im going to have a soda I make sure it’s a Dr. Thunder.

I think people who only buy name brands are greatly mislead and just fail to read that the ingredients are the same and the actual products are 90% of the time the same….. there’s no difference….

 

[Belle T]

Most generic items are literally the same thing just a different label slapped on.

I think people who only buy name brands are greatly mislead and just fail to read that the ingredients are the same and the actual products are 90% of the time the same….. there’s no difference….

That's not entirely true. Things can be made with the same ingredients and still be made to a lower standard of quality. Think, for example, that pancakes, waffles, and crepes can all be made using the same type of batter, but they are most certainly not identical products.

In fact, to your point, most generic brand products not only contain 100% of the same ingredients, but are made in the same factory as the name brand versions, which many people hear and come to the conclusion that they must be the same thing. However, they are typically made to a lower (or at least different) quality standard (i.e. they may not use ingredients of the same freshness, or in the same quantities, or the same consistency). Don't get me wrong, there are definitely generic brand products that are more or less identical to their name brand counterparts, but it's a shot in the dark as to which ones those are, and it's largely dependent on where you live and the stores you shop at.

However, that isn't to say that the price for name brand goods is at all justified. The price of name brand foods really is correlated to the name on the packaging and marketing, not necessarily to the quality over the competition. So I think, at the very least, it's very poor budgeting to buy the name brand of any food unless the difference in flavor is just that substantial. Basically, yes, name brand goods are overpriced, but it wouldn't accurate to say that you're just buying the same thing but cheaper.

And it should be noted that the above only applies to food. When purchasing things like electronics, for example, you should absolutely do your research on which brands are considered trustworthy and won't burn your house down. The generic brand or dollar store ones are most likely fine for small things, but there have been cases in recent years of some of these items being made to such a low standard that they pose as a serious hazard. So never cheap out on things like that.

As for me, as others have stated, it depends on the product. I don't drink much soda, but if I ever am in the mood for it, I actually prefer the taste of generic brand versions. The only exception would probably be cola-based beverages, but that largely depends on the store, too. Most snacks I'm also fine with going for the cheaper version. The only items that I really care to buy from specific name brands would probably be tea bags and candy. The former because questions of quality and taste aside, the store brands usually do not have the flavors that I seek. The latter because I rarely eat candy anymore, so when I do it had better be very good candy. It's not to say that I won't consume the generic brand versions if there's nothing else available or if I'm just really short on money. But those are the only two that I will go out of my way to buy the name brand versions. At least that I can think of off the top of my head.

Oh and frozen pizza. I dislike frozen pizza in the best of circumstances, but there are few things more rancid than the store brand frozen pizza.

 

[tiffanistarr]

That's not entirely true. Things can be made with the same ingredients and still be made to a lower standard of quality. Think, for example, that pancakes, waffles, and crepes can all be made using the same type of batter, but they are most certainly not identical products.

In fact, to your point, most generic brand products not only contain 100% of the same ingredients, but are made in the same factory as the name brand versions, which many people hear and come to the conclusion that they must be the same thing. However, they are typically made to a lower (or at least different) quality standard (i.e. they may not use ingredients of the same freshness, or in the same quantities, or the same consistency). Don't get me wrong, there are definitely generic brand products that are more or less identical to their name brand counterparts, but it's a shot in the dark as to which ones those are, and it's largely dependent on where you live and the stores you shop at.

However, that isn't to say that the price for name brand goods is at all justified. The price of name brand foods really is correlated to the name on the packaging and marketing, not necessarily to the quality over the competition. So I think, at the very least, it's very poor budgeting to buy the name brand of any food unless the difference in flavor is just that substantial. Basically, yes, name brand goods are overpriced, but it wouldn't accurate to say that you're just buying the same thing but cheaper.

And it should be noted that the above only applies to food. When purchasing things like electronics, for example, you should absolutely do your research on which brands are considered trustworthy and won't burn your house down. The generic brand or dollar store ones are most likely fine for small things, but there have been cases in recent years of some of these items being made to such a low standard that they pose as a serious hazard. So never cheap out on things like that.

As for me, as others have stated, it depends on the product. I don't drink much soda, but if I ever am in the mood for it, I actually prefer the taste of generic brand versions. The only exception would probably be cola-based beverages, but that largely depends on the store, too. Most snacks I'm also fine with going for the cheaper version. The only items that I really care to buy from specific name brands would probably be tea bags and candy. The former because questions of quality and taste aside, the store brands usually do not have the flavors that I seek. The latter because I rarely eat candy anymore, so when I do it had better be very good candy. It's not to say that I won't consume the generic brand versions if there's nothing else available or if I'm just really short on money. But those are the only two that I will go out of my way to buy the name brand versions. At least that I can think of off the top of my head.

Oh and frozen pizza. I dislike frozen pizza in the best of circumstances, but there are few things more rancid than the store brand frozen pizza.

from my experience and knowledge from family members who have worked at places like johnson and johnson, P&G, General Mills, Nabisco the quality that’s put into generic items is equal to their name brand counterparts. From what I’ve learned and experienced from those people is that MAJORITY of the time it’s a packaging change on the machine.

As I also stated I didn’t say every generic item is the same or as good, I said 90% of the time, it’s the same thing. The quality of Great Value bread and Sara Lee bread is the same because the loaves are identical they just happened to be put into a different bag. IMO both breads are gross and crap quality. However, I prefer less processed things. Same with Peter Pan peanut butter and Great Value peanut butter.

Like I said, money is better spent on more organic, eco friendly, and less harsh products. There’s lists all over

You are correct about electronics. My POV was strictly on the grocery side of things. Electronics should absolutely be looked into and there should actually be a higher standard set for those things. If your charger can double as a space heater throw it out!

I can’t agree with you about frozen pizza though lol something about a frozen pizza every once in a while really takes me back to childhood lol

 

[Belle T]

from my experience and knowledge from family members who have worked at places like johnson and johnson, P&G, General Mills, Nabisco the quality that’s put into generic items is equal to their name brand counterparts. From what I’ve learned and experienced from those people is that MAJORITY of the time it’s a packaging change on the machine.

I concede to not having anyone close to me in the food industry, so my knowledge is purely second-hand, but I'm also not entirely sure how useful it is when we have the ability to compare them individually. For example, I'm eating generic brand Cinnamon Toast Crunch as I type this, and it isn't even close to being the same. As different, say, a granola bar is from a pickled onion. Even if I did know someone in the industry, I'm not sure I'd believe them if they told me that they were the same thing and I'm only perceiving the quality based on packaging and brand recognition.

Though I did find this article interesting when exploring, which states that as recently as the 1980's, store brand products were much more significantly different than they are today, but the quality has risen considerably in the ensuing decades, which I suppose might be true, because last time I had a store-brand Coca-Cola, it actually tasted something like Coca-Cola, when for the longest time I've known them to taste very not good. So your mileage may vary, etc. My point is that even if the majority of foods are just re-packaged, that still leaves a lot of room for guesswork, meaning you're still going to have to experiment to know which ones are of reasonable quality.

Like I said, money is better spent on more organic, eco friendly, and less harsh products. There’s lists all over

I do agree with this point completely, though.

You are correct about electronics. My POV was strictly on the grocery side of things. Electronics should absolutely be looked into and there should actually be a higher standard set for those things. If your charger can double as a space heater throw it out!

I was mostly adding that as a general disclaimer, not so much targeting you specifically, just to be clear.

I can’t agree with you about frozen pizza though lol something about a frozen pizza every once in a while really takes me back to childhood lol

That's more than fair enough, lol! I adore marshmallow circus peanuts, probably because my mother used to buy them for me fairly often as a child, but my friends have always complained whenever I ate it around them, as though they could secondhand perceive the flavor or something. So basically, I love trash.

 

[LuchaSloth]

I mean...there is typically a quality margin. But this is definitely not ALWAYS the case. I have seen plenty of times when an expensive item is actually manufactured rather cheaply and a store brand is just fine. I think this happens especially often with clothes...because the companies already know they can sell the name. With food...it's hit or miss. Sometimes cheap brands taste exactly the same as name brands and are just a lot cheaper. I don't typically care one way or the other.

 

[JellyBeans]

i almost always go for off brand stuff, partially because it's a lot cheaper (so friendlier for my poor little student budget) and partially because the place i shop at carries 90% shop brand stuff anyway so it's a struggle to find actual brands. usually i can't really tell the difference though! at least not enough that i wish i'd gone out of my way to pay for the name brand
as for clothes i always buy from specific clothes shops as opposed to shops that sell both groceries and clothes, but that's not so much from a price/quality perspective and more just that that's what is more readily available

 

[Stella-Io]

Food: goes by brand to brand for me, idrc about brand names, just taste (and sometimes cost). Sometimes brand names taste better than knock-offs, yes, but sometimes I can't tell a difference.

Clothing: Really does not matter to me. I don't buy clothes based on brand, as long as it doesn't feel or look cheaply made I'm fine with it.

Shoes: Now this is where I care about brand, but really only with sneakers. Not with boots or sandals. I usually only go for New Balance cause it's a durable sneaker and there's an outlet nearby that carries a wide variety/colours and wide sizes, which I need ;-;
Work shoes is another thing I am very brand specific on. It has to be Fila, cause I need a slip-resist, smooth surface, no mesh or openings for my job. Industry shoes. Fila is comfortable and durable. Also it comes in wide sizes. I've tried Sketchers once cause I couldn't find the very specific Fila I wanted, and they weren't as comfy nor did they last as long. Same price thou.

Craft supplies: Typically the brand name works better, esp with paint and watercolour, however I have found that store brand canvases, sketchbooks and artist pencils work just fine. The store brand Hobby Lobby pencils, I think it's Master Touch, works really nice. They go on really smooth and blend nicely. Unlike Generals, which is really scratchy and unpleasant to work with. The Master's Touch goes on like the more expensive brand name pencil with a green label on it, the really popular one I forget its name now.

 

[Alienfish]

Depends on how cheap it's made and such as for groceries. There are good brands the stores carry but most often they basically only promote their cheapest alternative nobody buys unless they would have to cause they are poor(like the real crap store brands..unless you were forced to minimum wage-life you wouldn't touch it cause it's so bad let alone q-tips maybe).

Clothes: I buy second hand or small business mostly, for the former, sure there are old brands I like and some newer I avoid for sure. As for those things I buy new, I have some store brands I like, some not.

Shoes: Brands, for sure. I don't buy a lot of shoes but I've also tried cheap copies and they just don't work for my feet.

 

[Bluebellie]

For the clothes I don’t necessarily shop for brand. I buy whatever looks good on me, and I feel comfortable on. I do try to shop at places that sell with discounted prices or that are generally more cost effective. Retails stores and discount stores and such. Though for certain events if I’m looking for something specific and I’m not finding anything, if what I find happens to be brand name and a bit expensive, I would still by it. I still have certain standards though. I would never purchase something that costs ridiculously high. That’s just not me. I wouldn’t buy a $3000 purse or shoes ever.

For food generally I’m ok with getting the off brand products as well. Mostly they taste the same for me. Sometimes I tell the difference sometimes I don’t. It usually doesn’t bother me too much though. Only occasionally with milk. I don’t really like to deviate with how my milk taste and certain stores and brands are sweeter than others.

I generally try to buy my products the cheapest possible and most of the times it’s off brand. I mean if it breaks, then I didn’t pay that much and it doesn’t bother me. I can usually always just return it. However if I pay for something expensive and it doesn’t work out, then it definitely will bother me.