Generic and Store Brand Products -- Much Cheaper and Just as Good (Or Even the Same Thing!) as National Brands

I've written several money saving tips about how store and generic brands are a good deal for people looking to save a decent amount of money. For a look at these posts, click any of the following links:

• Save Big Money by Using Generic/Store Brands -- Even I Didn't Know the Savings Were This Big!!!

• Health and Beauty Aids: Walmart versus Costco, Kirkland Brand versus Equate Brand -- Which is the Best Deal?

• Comments: Save Big Money by Using Generic/Store Brands

• Save Money on Prescription Drugs by Buying Generics

• Don't Pass Up Generic-Drug Savings

I use store/generic products in many different categories and I can truly say that in most cases, they are as good as or better than the nationally branded items. That's why I recommend them to others. (Not to mention the fact that most store/generic brands have a "like it or your money back" guarantee.) Detractors of this suggestion often counter that store brands simply "aren't as good" (in taste, effectiveness, or whatever.) Well, a recent food scare just threw a bunch of water on that fire!

Did anyone notice that in the recent Peter Pan/Wal-mart peanut butter salmonella outbreak that Peter Pan (a national brand) and Wal-mart's store brand peanut butter were THE SAME THING? Yep, the same exact peanut butter that goes into Peter Pan goes into the Wal-mart brand. I don't want any Peter Pan users telling me that the Wal-mart brand isn't as good as their national brand -- ha!

Actually, this practice is quite common. National manufacturers can keep their plants running, make a good amount of money (especially if they get the volume Wal-mart cranks out), and spend zero in marketing when they put their own products in a store/generic brand. This doesn't happen with all store/generic brands by any stretch of the imagination, but I bet it's more common than we all think it is.

So the next time you think that a store brand isn't as good as the national brand you like, think again. It may be the exact same thing!

Comments

[Rob D.]

has there ever been an expose or is there a web site detailing what generic products are made by major manufacturers? I can't imagine that there is a Kirkland plant out there making Jeans, Floor Cleaner and foodstuffs under the same roof.

Would love to see what other brands are packaged as generics - anyone?

[DH]

I know that Kirkland toilet paper tissue and paper towels are made by Georgia-Pacific (I believe Kimberly Clark makes some as well depending on your area), it's the same exact TP with a different label on it. My wife works at a paper mill (and we haven't had to buy either since tissue or towels she started there). Almost every "store brand" out there is made by the same company that makes the regular brand - at the same quality.

[Paul Williams @ Crackerjack Greenback]

I remember watching an episode of "How It's Made" on Discovery Channel where they talked about frozen vegetables (or something like that). They showed the production facility and were focused on the Bird's Eye brand, but if you looked to the side of the screen you could see the store brand being packaged on the EXACT SAME production line. Why would you buy name brand frozen broccoli anyway? Frozen broccoli is frozen broccoli!!!! :)