A new pricing study compares a winter grocery list of Private Brand products vs. national brands and finds that consumers continue to save more than 30%, on average, by making a switch to their supermarket’s brand.
The research is the latest in a series of studies conducted by the Private Label Manufacturers Association. It looked at a range of basic food and non-food items that an average family might put on the shopping list during a season when most are trying to stay warm and fight off the flu. The study tracked pricing for 35 grocery items over a four-week period at a conventional supermarket. Traditional over-the-counter drugs such as cough syrup, cold medicines and facial tissues were among the non-food items included, along with hot food items like oatmeal, hot chocolate and chili.
The study results indicate that consumers who choose the retailer’s brand for products on the list rather than the national brand could save, on average, $39.49 off their total market basket – a savings of 30.1%. When buying national brands, the total bill came to $131.17 on average over four separate trips, while the same purchases for the retailer’s brands cost $91.68.
For every category, a leading national brand was compared to a similar store brand product and prices were adjusted to account for all known discounts, coupons and promotions available.
The survey took place over a four-week period in a typical supermarket located in the northeast.
Typical Private Brand vs. National Brand Market Basket Comparison
