Observation while grocery shopping.

**welderguy** · 07-31-2009, 10:31 AM

the price of several name brand Items are cheaper or the same price as store brand generics are, Generic can goods are 77 cents, name brand were 74 cents ( did however find a store that has can goods reg price 2/1.00), shells and cheese were 2 for 3.00 for name brand and 1.76 for generic. And these weren't sale items thats the everyday price.

I remember when generic/store brands were far cheaper that the branded stuff was, what happened that its the same or more now. has branded items come down that much or has generics gone up that much?

**Rick** · 07-31-2009, 10:39 AM

Yes. It's just marketing. When you are the new kid on the block (generic/store brand) then you have to price lower than the big boys (brand name) if you want to catch on and have any sales. Once you begin to gather a following then the brand names have a threat so they "reduce" price or hold the line as the generic price catches up. Keep a watchful eye on size, however. One way to hold the price is to reduce the size of the product.

Always check the price per ounce to make certain you compare apples to apples.

**Ole WV Coot** · 07-31-2009, 12:54 PM

When I compare apples to apples I usually take two bites of each just to make sure, and whatever looks good. By the time I get to checkout I have an empty buggy. Gotta remember to go when it's crowded and always push a buggy to throw it in just in case. Spread your business around among all grocery stores often, and remember to pull your picture off the board from the security camera.

**welderguy** · 07-31-2009, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ole WV Coot

When I compare apples to apples I usually take two bites of each just to make sure, and whatever looks good. By the time I get to checkout I have an empty buggy. Gotta remember to go when it's crowded and always push a buggy to throw it in just in case. Spread your business around among all grocery stores often, and remember to pull your picture off the board from the security camera.

Thats funny stuff.

**Rick** · 07-31-2009, 07:22 PM

But true. I was at the store last week. I was looking at a bag of cherries. This little sh** head girl (17-18) walks over, opens a bag, grabs a handful and walks off eating them.

"Hey!" I said. "Are you going to pay for those?"
"What do you care?" she asked.
(I CC for a reason. That came darn close to the reason, believe me)
"Because they aren't free. It's called theft. You can either pay for them or I can call management."
She tossed 'em down on the table and walked away!!!
I swear there was a target on the back of her head mocking me. No, really. There was!

**Sarge47** · 07-31-2009, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

But true. I was at the store last week. I was looking at a bag of cherries. This little sh** head girl (17-18) walks over, opens a bag, grabs a handful and walks off eating them.

"Hey!" I said. "Are you going to pay for those?"
"What do you care?" she asked.
(I CC for a reason. That came darn close to the reason, believe me)
"Because they aren't free. It's called theft. You can either pay for them or I can call management."
She tossed 'em down on the table and walked away!!!
I swear there was a target on the back of her head mocking me. No, really. There was!

...would it made a difference if they were Twinkies?

**Chris** · 07-31-2009, 08:07 PM

Sometimes the generic isnt' the same either, check the ingredient list and the calorie count. There is a few products I buy, like pinto beans, where the generic is like 20 calories more per equal sized serving. They must add some fat or something. I'll pay 10 cents more so I don't have to lose as much weight.

**Rick** · 08-01-2009, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by Sarge

...would it made a difference if they were Twinkies?

Well, I reckon so. I WOULD have shot her!

**Ken** · 08-01-2009, 11:46 AM

For what it's worth, I worked in a supermarket when I was in school. I'd occasionally cut open a "brand name" case of canned goods and find it contained one of our store brands, and vice versa. Once in a while, both the brand name case and our store brands cases (we had two store brands) would contain another store's label.

**Rick** · 08-01-2009, 04:16 PM

'Xactly. The store brands/generic just contract to have their name placed on the bag or can. It's called rebranding. Happens in every retail segment. You don't really think Cabellas makes all that Cabellas stuff do you?

**rebel_chick** · 08-01-2009, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Rick

But true. I was at the store last week. I was looking at a bag of cherries. This little sh** head girl (17-18) walks over, opens a bag, grabs a handful and walks off eating them.

"Hey!" I said. "Are you going to pay for those?"
"What do you care?" she asked.
(I CC for a reason. That came darn close to the reason, believe me)
"Because they aren't free. It's called theft. You can either pay for them or I can call management."
She tossed 'em down on the table and walked away!!!
I swear there was a target on the back of her head mocking me. No, really. There was!

LOL IM NOT CRAZY!!! I thought that I was the only one to think about that! Hmmm...

**LostOutrider** · 08-03-2009, 10:35 AM

Check the amount (weight, count, size, etc) of the name brand good compared to the generic brand. Don't always go by the physical size of the packaging. You would be surprised at how name brand goods have started reducing the amount of product sold rather than change the price or size of the box/bag. This is a relatively recent trend and is designed to take advantage of how ignorant consumers typically are. If all a consumer ever looks at or compares is the price, then they won't notice that they're paying the same amount for less product.

Sneaky, but damned effective.

Edited to add some links so that you didn't think I was getting all paranoid on you:

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0508/521050.html
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article....&in_page_id=34
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourmoney/p...ur_money_.html

**Smok** · 08-04-2009, 06:25 AM

Rick I have seen that same target myself . God I hope and pray that this world never go south because there will be a very target rich environment . I just get tried of this A'holes sometimes

**Rick** · 08-04-2009, 07:18 AM

No, LO, you aren't paranoid. Consumer Reports gives out their "Black Hole" award to manufacturers that do exactly that.

Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.

**crashdive123** · 08-04-2009, 07:32 AM

The latest one that I've noticed is frozen berries. Prices went down - so did the weight of the contents, from 16 ounces to 12 ounces. I was picking some up the other day and a lady said to me - you better get a lot before the prices go back up. I told her to look at the weight of the package ------- got that deer in the headlights look.

**Jonesy** · 08-04-2009, 07:45 AM

Here is one generic item that is not worth it no matter how many gallons you can buy cheap.

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**Rick** · 08-04-2009, 07:48 AM

Jonesy - Think barter. It will go good with.....

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Well......at least it will go with it. I don't know about the good part.