Store Brands vs. Brand Names

[Blueberry]

I still fondly remember Publix brand Apricot Preserves from a road trip years ago. Sadly, we don't have them here....

Full Circle Organic (from Lowes the grocery store) is pretty good too

CA

[shootingstar]

Since moving to Vancouver, we haven't bought hardly any store-brand/generic brand foods ..except for fruit leather, occasionally some juices.

For certain shampoos, toilet paper, will buy generic.

Not economical for us to shop at Costco's since it's just 2 of us at home. So I have no clue if Canadian Costco stores carries their own brand lines.

As for generic soaps, shampoos, etc....according to 2 sisters who are pharmacists and did work for Canadian national pharmaceutical store chains over a decade ago, sometimes the store /generic soap etc. is almost exactly the same as the original brand. And lower in price.

All generic drugs, sold in Canada must be tested/comply with federal law vis a vis Health Canada, federal government. I would seldom hesitate to buy if given a choice if competitive pricing was an option, ...again upon the advice of a diagnosing physician and ...family members who are licensed physician and pharmacists.


Of course, I had one friend who worked on clinical drug testing trials with physicians for a multinational pharmaceutical giant firm. She was ferocious in her defense of company created drugs vs. generic drugs because of R & D dollar investment. Whatever.

[Zen]

Some generic brands are actually brand names, you know.
Where do you think that stuff comes from, Generic, Inc.?

[pardes]

Mr. Silver, did you get any sleep yet?

[Mr. Bloom]

Wow! This group really is anti-walmart! Wal-mart/Sams was not mentioned once!

Mr. Silver, did you get any sleep yet?

About 6 hours tonight...that's a two week record. Maybe it's the backlash of caffeine withdrawal.

Some generic brands are actually brand names, you know.
Where do you think that stuff comes from, Generic, Inc.?

I wonder what their stock certificate would look like?

[7rider]

Wow! This group really is anti-walmart! Wal-mart/Sams was not mentioned once!

What?

Do you have me on "ignore"?

I wonder what their stock certificate would look like?

GenX??

[Zen]

I have you on 'ignore'

[Blueberry]

Wow! This group really is anti-walmart! Wal-mart/Sams was not mentioned once!

I shop at Sam's Club on occasion (Sam's much more regularly), but I've not been happy with their house brands. Can't specifically remember what I tried at this point, though. Wal-Mart is a whole lot further away from me than Target, and our Wal-Mart isn't very nice. It's old, small and has a very bad food selection (it's not a "super"). They're not my favorite company (for reasons that aren't approporiate for TE), but I do shop there on occasion. Sam's just has really good deals - we buy Silk vanilla soy milk by the case, mandarin oranges, peanut butter, cheeses, frozen fish, etc there on a pretty regular basis. I also get my contacts through their optical area.

Interesting about their Advil - I've tried other generics (Trader Joe's), and did not feel like they worked as well. Hmmm....
CA

[7rider]

I have you on 'ignore'

Mmmmmmmm ... I can feel the love!!!

[bmccasland]

I wonder what their stock certificate would look like?

Plain white paper, Times New Roman font

[Mr. Bloom]

What?

Do you have me on "ignore"?

oOPS! I promise...I don't "ignore", but I may unintentionally disregard

[vinbek]

My husband worked in the food industry for over 20 years. He said many of the generics are the same food stock, just put in private labels. Not all is that way - many are a second cut of product - not top quality. He knows when the fresh peaches are fresh and when they have been frozen. He knows which brands are first quality and which are second cut. He saves us a ton of money buying groceries because he knows the quality of the products. Sorry I can't give specifics - he has all that knowledge in his head!

[beccaB]

generic popcorn is way better than brand names, and pops better too!

[SouthernBelle]

I'm surprised at the Kroger comments as my local one is immaculate. I think part of that may be proximity to headquarters. When the big dogs are apt to come into the store, things tend to stay nice. I've noticed that with other companies as well.

I use the McDaniels coffee as well.

I buy my meat at a local market though.

I was so excited when we got a Publix. But I was disappointed as I find their prices high overall. But one good side effect was that the competition drove some Kroger prices down.

I will generally try generics where available. One notable exception is that my cola must be Coke.

[OakLeaf]

part of that may be proximity to headquarters.

A lot of it is "what part of town," also, I think. I've heard more than once that produce that's too wilted for the ritzy suburban groceries is moved to the inner city stores, and discarded only if it doesn't sell the second time around.

In Ohio, Kroger is the "top end" grocery, but I think our Krogers are a separate corporation from the West Coast ones.

I don't buy a lot of processed food, plus corporate ethics matter to me as much as quality (they usually go hand in hand anyway) - so generic foods are pretty rare in my house. Baking soda, yeah (but most of it goes in the laundry ).

I do use pharmaceuticals (yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I do) - OTC painkillers and allergy medicine I'll always buy generic unless the brand name's on sale for less. With prescription drugs, I'll get generic only if it's the identical drug. No "bioequivalents."

Well, it's too rainy to ride, but the bright side of that is I get to go to the farmers' market - so I'm off. No generics there!