Is our love affair with food brands dying out? New research into who buys what at the supermarket indicates that it’s certainly on the wane – and that we could be enjoying supermarkets’ own-labels in their own right.
More than two-thirds of people believe own-brand foods are as good, if not better than, leading famous brands. Half think they’re identical in quality and 19% go so far as to say that they’re superior.
It’s a far cry from the days when it was seen as cheap and chavvy to buy own-brand foods – the preserve of students and slackers. Nowadays, not only are we buying the supermarket’s own, we’re also rather enjoying them.
Market analyst, Datamonitor, which carried out this research, says that nearly half of us are choosing where to shop based on where we can get our faves. ‘Consumer perceptions are evolving,’ says Datamonitor analyst Mark Whalley. ‘No longer is there an overwhelmingly ‘snobbish’ mentality towards supermarket brands.’
He says that sales of own-label grub increased during the recession, but now people are realising that there are some very credible alternatives to big brands, and many of us are continuing to buy based on quality, not cost.
So where do you sit on this fence? I’m definitely wavering in the middle. When it comes to cereal, juice and tea I regularly shun the brands, but I’m not being torn apart from my favourite Yeo Valley yoghurt or McVities Digestives. And on the rare occasions when I need a fizzy caffeinated drink, only a Coke will cut it.
It’s good to hear the humble own-label is enjoying the limelight for a change. While I am a self-confessed snob on some brands, making do with foods that aren’t all-singing and all-dancing is something more of us should aspire to.
What do you think of supermarket own-label food?
It varies so I buy according to product (76%, 254 Votes)
It's good quality and I buy a lot (19%, 62 Votes)
Can't stand it - I don't buy any (5%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 334
