Store Brand Loyalty

In response to Friday's post about failed encounters with certain store brand products, the delightful Giao asked, "Are there any good things that are store brands?"

Yes, I have found terrific products that are store brand! Finding them is the result of willingness to try them and knowing that it is about the product's quality and taste, not the packaging or the perception store brands being inferior to branded name products. Today's store brand (formerly known as generic) products are packaged in a way that you may not realize they are the store brand.

I prefer Coca-Cola to Pepsi any day and I know I don't like Pepsi because I've been served when I ask for Coke. Therefore, I don't even bother with store brand cola because I know it will be a disappointment. But when it comes to cereal, bring on the Cocoa Comets, Honey Grahams, Puffed Wheat and Brans & Raisins because I cannot tell the difference. In fact, there's a good chance the branded name is supplying the cereal (or other product) to the stores.

Store brand products I (or my parents) have bought and liked:

• Target's Market Pantry: fruit cups, pudding, peanut butter sandwich crackers, chocolate chip cookies
• Kroger's Private Selection: Frozen strawberries, ice cream, cookies (the mint and peanut butter taste like girl scout cookies)
• Costco's Kirkland: Trail mix, coffee (my parents)
• Target label: Mouth rinse, disposable razors
• Kroger label: frozen juices, cereal, bread, pasta, oatmeal, aluminum foil or wax paper, sandwich, freezer or trash bags
• Meijer label: cereal, bread, garlic bread, pasta, yogurt, aluminum foil orwax paper, sandwich, freezer or trash bags
  

MyMoneyBlog ranked types of products he will buy generic. I agree on most of what he says, except the OJ, which has to be Simply Orange for me and reminded of some other products to add to my previous post.

Suggested Reading:
"Brand Killers: Store Brands Aren't for Losers Anymore" [Fortune Magazine: August 11, 2003]