Brand names

[TechnoLoGs]

When should you spend the extra money at the store for a brand name?

For example (and there are many many many examples of this

1. Batteries. "Rite Aid Home" or whatever vs. Duracell/Energizer?

2. Toothpaste. "Great Value" or Colgate, etc?

3. Motor oil..................................

4. Trash bags, dishwashing liquid...

5. (insert here)

Let's discuss!

 

[surfstar]

When there may actually be a difference.

For someone on a limited budget - never.

 

[threeputtpar]

The only one that comes to mind for me is peanut butter. I've never found an acceptable, much less good, store brand peanut butter.

Other than that, I will almost always choose the store brand items.

 

[GSCJR]

1. Ketchup (Heinz)

2. Toilet paper (Charmin)

 

[SwampSurvivor]

About the only thing I don't go generic on is hot sauce.

 

[racer12306]

Originally Posted By: GSCJR
1. Ketchup (Heinz)



100% agree

 

[99Saturn]

Look for sales and coupons that make the brand name <= store brand.

 

[joaks]

I go with off brands for nearly everything (even ketchup!).

I use name brand oil and most of my car care products are name brand, but there is not much selection of off brand products and those that ARE off brand are usually ridiculously expensive (e.g. odd-brand "top off" oil").

I tried a knock-off of Edge shave gel- I am going back to the branded stuff because the knock-off was watered down leaving me with no savings.

I am experimenting with using Tide Vivid for my undershirts instead of the Target brand I usually use to see if they look better longer. For whatever reason I can never get over how expensive new undershirts are.

Oh, and cat food. That's always name brand.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
The only one that comes to mind for me is peanut butter. I've never found an acceptable, much less good, store brand peanut butter.


My favorite PB is a store brand.

I only like the peanut butters that are just peanuts and salt. It seems all the major brands are made for little kids and have tons of sugar in them. Disgusting.

The easiest plain PB for me to find is the Kroger store brand natural peanut butter.

 

[Boomer]

I never buy Gillette products as they pay so much to advertise on professional sporting events that it translates into prices that can be twice what a competitor or store brand sells for. Look at Barbasol shaving cream in a can vs Gillette Foamy, for example. Same ingredients, same size can, etc but SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive.

 

[TechnoLoGs]

Ok who buys Ohio State University mustard.

 

[SLCraig]

It just all has to do with experience...
I have plenty of store brand or no name stuff that is fine, and some that is not.

I had a bad experience once recently with pasta noodles. Bought some really cheap brand from a cheaper grocery store and they were horrible. I had not seen much difference in noodles up until that point. I stick with Primo or Barilla brand for noodles now at this point.

Cereal for me is usually a good example. I don't eat much of it, but I remember growing up trying some house brand ones that are mimmicking the name brands, they were never as good, and I do mean never. Now I dont even bother with off brand cereal. (I rarely buy it anyway)

I prefer Tide laundry detergents. I have tried 1 store brand and since Purex and I still prefer Tide.

 

[zzyzzx]

Just Heinz Ketchup. Everything else is negotiable.

 

[AdmdeVilleneuve]

CR Magazine regularly does stories on brand names vs. generics (store label). Many generics do better, sometimes the brand name, often it's a toss-up. And with anything, unit cost can be a deciding factor. Too many "new and improved" brand names come with smaller packages.
Any real difference with staples like salt, sugar, flour, milk? I actually prefer the Fred Meyer (Kroger) peanut butter; still an 18 oz. jar, too. Stock up on store brands when they are on sale.

 

[eljefino]

Just got some premium Heinz catsup that uses real sugar, not corn syrup. Yum!!!

I go for name brand soda, beer, deodorant, butter (except for baking.)

I'll do store brand oil, gasoline, meat. Premium store brand bread.

I avoid cheapo rechargeable NiMH batteries after getting burned by "Polaroid" ones from Big Lots-- turns out Polaroid's name was sold to the worst corner of China. Eneloops from a reputable vendor are the way to go.

 

[Vikas]

I would never put nonname brand stuff in my vehicle but I don't care what I put in my stomach

 

[Benzadmiral]

I buy a lot of stuff at the Save-a-Lot grocery stores. They have some of the national brands, yes, but much more often they offer brands that apparently don't advertise, but are just as good: graham crackers, for example, paper towels and toilet paper, and pickles, and lettuce -- the list goes on.

I rarely spring for the name brands these days, when the store brands and modern generics* are just as good. Batteries from the Dollar Tree may not last as long as the name brands; my personal jury's still out on that.

As for oil and filters, I still go with the names like Quaker State and Mobil and Purolator. If I need some top-up oil, I'll buy a Walmart quart, but otherwise I try to stick with the proven names.


(* Anybody remember in the '70s, when "generic" products first appeared? No design to the labels at all, just big black letters on a white or yellow field: TOILET PAPER ? We've come a long way from that.)

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: TechnoLoGs
When should you spend the extra money at the store for a brand name?

For example (and there are many many many examples of this

1. Batteries. "Rite Aid Home" or whatever vs. Duracell/Energizer?

2. Toothpaste. "Great Value" or Colgate, etc?

3. Motor oil..................................

4. Trash bags, dishwashing liquid...

5. (insert here)

Let's discuss!


1) With batteries it's fairly simple to tell if it's a major manufacturer by looking at the packaging. The warehouse stores or many of the house brands are made by Ray-o-Vac, Energizer, or Duracell. They'll be labelled as made in the US, although some of these companies have decent quality batteries made offshore. If it says "Made in China/Thailand/Malaysia" I start worrying that it might be a leak monster. I remember once Duracell was asked about their private label stuff, and they said that anything they made to be sold as private label was equivalent in construction, materials, and capacity as their standard alkalines. At the time they said the functional difference was the tester thing they had on the battery.

2) I've tried off-branded toothpaste and it tastes weird. However, I can still find some tubes of brand-name stuff for $1. Some of the names I grew up with are still on the market even if they're not advertised, like Aim or Close-Up.

3) I get the warm and fuzzies consistently using well known brands and not generics. It may be irrational, but there I've got brand loyalty. I did experiment on my parents' car with nearly every major brand, but no house brands.

4) If someone hands me a trash bag I'll use it. However, we get out stuff at Costco and they usually have Glad. There are some things I prefer and others where I'll use what's available. When I'm on the road I'll get less picky. I tend to buy dishwashing detergent on sale, and my wife makes me do the dishes. She says I do it much faster and better than she does.

5) It depends.

 

[threeputtpar]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Eneloops from a reputable vendor are the way to go.


Yep, just ask George Costanza.

 

[threeputtpar]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
(* Anybody remember in the '70s, when "generic" products first appeared? No design to the labels at all, just big black letters on a white or yellow field: TOILET PAPER ? We've come a long way from that.)


I remember that they used the "Army" style font on all white packaging. I was raised on those potato chips. Didn't know that they came from the '70s.