A-Brands, Private Label: No Difference In Quality

Shoppers now believe there is no difference in quality between the A-brands and private label items,…

Shoppers now believe there is no difference in quality between the A-brands and private label items, according to new research.

In the new supermarket survey by market research firm Canadean Custom Solutions, 81% of UK shoppers believe that as both lines are now being manufactured on the same site, the only actual difference between them is the product packaging.

Almost one-third of those taking part in the survey admitted that more than half the grocery products they purchase are now supermarket own-label items.

Biscuits are the own-brand item most likely to be chosen off the supermarket shelves or from the online grocery stores by consumers.

The research revealed that 55% of UK shoppers believe that the quality of private label food and drinks is now as good as branded products.

Meanwhile, 64% believe that advertising, and indicators unrelated to quality, are the reason for branded goods being more expensive than own brands.

“Continued growth of private label is not just a knee-jerk reaction by consumers to a recessionary environment, but the result of decades of investment in product portfolios by retailers,” said Michael Hughes, research manager at Canadean Custom Solutions.

“This has also been helped by an increasing level of scepticism towards the food and drink industry as a whole, with consumers ultimately believing branded and non-branded groceries are the same, with only different packaging and advertising resulting in different retail prices”.