Latest news with #genericbrands
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Food shoppers ditch big labels for the 'plain box' as experts say you should, too
Generic brands, sometimes referred to as "private label" or "store brands," are increasingly popular today as shoppers face rising food prices in grocery stores. Some consumers believe these brands to be inferior, as the generic items usually cost less than their name-brand counterparts. As a result, they're avoiding such products. But experts say they've noticed a consumer shift toward generic brands as people save money by shopping for these generics. "Don't assume that a fancy label means higher quality," Sylvain Charlebois, a professor and researcher of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University in Canada, told Fox News Digital. "Sometimes the plain box is the better deal and the better product." Kyndra Holley, author of the cookbook "Simply Delicious," told Fox News Digital that she uses store-brand ingredients in her cooking "without hesitation." "It's less important than people think," she said. "While there are a few name brands I trust for consistency," she added, "I'm not generally loyal to labels." The food blogger, who lives near Seattle, focuses on budget-friendly grocery shopping advice in her new book and said she believes that preparing great food doesn't have to be "complicated or expensive." Where there may be some small nutritional differences between generic items and their name-brand counterparts, Holley said the "differences are minimal." "Sometimes you'll see a little more sodium or sugar in one over the other, but they're usually comparable or sometimes even identical," she said. "If you know how to season well, balance flavors and cook with intention, you can turn even the most humble pantry staples into a showstopper," she said. Elizabeth Schwab, founding chair of the master of arts behavioral economics program and chair of the business psychology program at The Chicago School, said she's noticed similar consumer behavior when it comes to shopping. "Consumers seem to be embracing generic over name brand in many categories due to a variety of influences, both economic and social," she told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the Private Label Manufacturers Association for comment. Product shortages during the pandemic encouraged many consumers to try other brands such as generics due to the limited availability of products at the time, according to Schwab. "In many cases, [generics] are made by the same manufacturers." "This worked to expand consumers' awareness of the breadth of choices they had, and they discovered that generic, in certain categories, held little perceptible differences in quality," she said. This is in line with what Charlebois has observed in the industry as well. "People are more price sensitive than ever," he said. Now, Charlebois said, price sensitivity doesn't have to come at the cost of quality. "Some store brands today are virtually indistinguishable from national brands, especially for staples like pasta, canned goods and dairy. In many cases, they're made by the same manufacturers." Holley shared a similar observation, noting that the quality of generic versions has "improved dramatically." "Store brands today often rival – or even surpass – name brands in flavor and texture." "Store brands today often rival – or even surpass – name brands in flavor and texture," she said. "You can find excellent generics for everything from pasta sauce to frozen veggies." For more Lifestyle articles, visit The cookbook author also praised the quality of generic pantry staples like flour, sugar, canned beans, dried pasta and basic spices, saying that the store brand is "often just as good." She advised, "Splurge on ingredients that really impact flavor, like good cheese, oils and vinegars, and butter, to name a few." "These are the flavor makers."
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Things You Overspend a Little On That Add Up Quickly
When you're trying to save money, focus first on cutting the biggest expenses from your budget. This is common sense. But it can be easy to overlook smaller purchases that can add up to big expenses. You hardly notice when it's just a few dollars here and there, but over time, that can turn into a lot of money — and, often, faster than you think. Learn More: Read Next: Here are five places where many people overspend little by little, often without even realizing it. It's so easy to add one more item to your cart. It can happen when you're shopping online or in a store. It's usually something small and inexpensive, which makes it seem trivial and easy to excuse. But when it happens repeatedly, these small extras can quietly eat away at your monthly budget and sabotage your savings. Brick-and-mortar stores know to place these low-cost items right by the checkout to get you to spend just a little more at the last minute. And it can be even harder to resist when you're shopping online. You're being hit with targeted ads, and that impulse buy is just a click away. To resist, make a shopping list before heading to the store and stick to it. Check Out: Brand loyalty can be expensive. In fact, according to Salsify, 87% of customers will pay more money to purchase an item from a brand they trust. That extra cost might not matter on a single item, but over a year of grocery runs and household shopping, it can total up to hundreds of unnecessary dollars. Many generic and store-brand products are made in the same facilities or use nearly identical ingredients. Name-brand medications contain the identical active ingredients that generics do but can cost 79% more, per Tebra. Try switching to some alternatives. You don't have to go all-or-nothing. Buy the generic versions one by one and test which ones you like. Convenience comes at a cost — and that cost builds up fast. This can be one of the biggest drains on your budget, and maybe one of the hardest to resist. Eating out is already more expensive than cooking at home. But delivery apps can also add a hefty fee. And often, the restaurant charges more for their delivery menu to cover the extra costs on their end. Plan your meals ahead of time each week, and then make shopping lists based on your meal plan. You can also cook larger batches so you have leftovers ready to go. When you have your next meal already waiting in your fridge, it's even more convenient than delivery. Mobile games and video games often rely heavily on 'microtransactions' to get extra money out of you. You might pay to remove ads, advance faster in the game or get cosmetic changes to your character. A few dollars here and there on game currency or cosmetic upgrades doesn't feel like much — until you realize how often you're doing it. Many games use psychological tactics like limited-time offers to encourage impulse spending, while virtual currencies disguise real costs, so that $0.99 for '100 gems' feels less like actual money. Some games keep adding new content or limited-time offers. Microtransactions are designed to be painless. That makes it easy to spend a little here and there without thinking about it too hard. But over time, those small charges add up. Try tracking these expenses for a month. You might be shocked to discover just how much you're spending each year on virtual items with no resale value. Retailers push extended warranties aggressively because they're extremely profitable — for them, not for you. They seem like a smart safety net. But more often than not, you're paying for coverage you'll never use. Most electronics already come with a warranty from the manufacturer, so additional coverage is redundant in many cases. Also, if you paid with a credit card, check your card's benefits. Often, you're protected there too. Instead of buying extended coverage, put the money you would have spent on the warranty in a dedicated account. If your device is out of warranty and breaks, pay for repairs out of this fund. This is like insuring yourself — and if you never need it, you keep the money. More From GOBankingRates Here's How Much Cars Made in the US Cost Compared to Mexico, Canada and China The 5 Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025 4 Grocery Items To Buy Now Before Tariffs Raise Prices This Summer How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Every State? Sources Salsify, 'Brand Trust Makes 87% of Shoppers Pay More for Products — Here's Why.' Tebra, 'Do lower prices make generic medications the top choice for Americans?' This article originally appeared on 5 Things You Overspend a Little On That Add Up Quickly
