'Own brand' items - the same stuff in a different wrapper

Big brand vs Own brands

  • I reckon they're all the same underneath

    Votes: 9 25.0%
  • I reckon own brands might be the same but big brands are different

    Votes: 16 44.4%
  • I reckon they're all different, but might be similar

    Votes: 9 25.0%
  • I really know, and I might just tell you

    Votes: 2 5.6%

  • Total voters
    36
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Bobby Dazzler

MB Master
SUPPORTER
Joined
Jan 21, 2005
Messages
27,437
Location
Mittel England
Car
Smart ForFour AMG Black Series Night Edition Premium Plus 125 Powered by Brabus
I've heard it said many times over the years that brand name items and 'own brand' items are the same stuff, just in a different wrapper.

Of course there are only so many businesses out there who can make - or will make - a particular type of product, so you might expect them to come out of the same gates, but just how different are they?

We tend to do our shopping in Waitrose, but if I have to grab a few things after work I stop off at Morissions, Asda or Tesco as they're all on my way home whereas Waitrose isn't.

I've been curious how much difference there is between own brand items and I noticed that all three sell a fabric conditioner that appears to be the same form any of the three supermarkets: bottle, cap, instructions, colour, smell...

So I bought one from each store. The ingredients appear to be the same, and they wash equally well, so what do you reckon - just a different label or so similar because that's what customers want?
 
I generally can't tell the difference.
 
We've down-shifted on some products to try 'em out and the price differences can be staggering.

We've done washing liquids, shampoo etc. Current study is now on Shreddies. We've dropped to own-brand "
Malted Wheaties" at ASDA :thumb: which I confess to prefer the taste to the Nestle product, for what it's worth :bannana:
 
Stuffing.

It's difficult to answer in truth.

I get about a bit in my job and one of the sites I visited was the Paxo Stuffing plant. They were making stuffing for Sainsbury's amongst others.

I would think that the Sainsbury's product possibly has a slightly different recipe.

The same plant owned by RHM Foods also produced white "AAAAACHOOO" pepper - your nose was twitching all the time you were in the place and also poppadoms which IIRC were for the Sharwood brand.

I'm trying to remember some other instances...
 
Last edited:
Tomato Juice - a favourite of mine, the cheapy Tesco is actually my preferred.
I'd always suggest trying, you never know?

I think the poll should have "some are, some aren't"

Mike
 
The "Oakham" Chickens were reduced to half-price at Marks & Spencer yesterday and the shelves were full too.

Probably due to the mid-week exposure they had on the TV. ;) :ban:
 
Can anyone tell the difference between bottled water and good old "Peckham Spring." ;)
 
Non-perishables are bound to be similar simply because of the chemistry / ingredients that go into making them.
Perishables may or may not be but I think generally own brands will be of poorer quality, as quality costs!
 
I remember being taken 'round an automated bakery in Hampshire by my father more than 30 years ago to watch how sliced bread was made. At the end of the production line the loaves came down half a dozen chutes to be wrapped in different bakers' packaging. It certainly was happening then.
 
I am up for trying things, 'specially when it saves money (got a car habit to feed) however, and I mean this with greatest of respect to others owns tastes, but you can't beat Heinz Beanz(s) and Heinz Salad Cream (full bore or diet) Own branded ones just don't have the same taste.

That said, Makro's own Tomato sauce is just the best ever.

Makro's own coffee is powered dog turds tho.


We don't have sainsburys, tescos, asda or Morrisons here. We got the good old Coop, checkers and a Safeway (one Morrions probably weren't allowed) and M&S. Checkers does Waitrose branded stuff. I thought it may have been a Tesco brand, but its owned by Sandpiper apparently.

Double points in Coop on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Spend £30 in Checker and get 10p a ltr off petrol. (U/L 77p ltr last time I looked)

The Coop and Checkers do Heritage branded stuff, which seems ok. Island Bread branded bread is a bit duff though. Not seen Warburtons on here.
 
Try Aldi for some of the food stuff. They have some good deli in the cold department and all sorts of other interesting things - some branded, some not. You will never do teh weekly shop there but always worth a look to see what they got in this week........
 
Nappies are the same, the likes of asdas, morrisons etc are made by the likes of huggies etc and rebranded. The best has to be tesco nappies though as they are made by pampers and are exactly the same just cheaper!!
 
Can anyone tell the difference between bottled water and good old "Peckham Spring." ;)

Don't get me started here.... YES, YES AND YES AGAIN!

The issue isn't Bottled water vs Tap Water, the issue is Mineral water vs tap water.

If you get a bottle of mineral water, it will be VERY different from a bottle of spring water, or a bottle or "pure water".

In many countries, there are some very clear legislations as to which can be branded which way.

Just because there are companies out there bottling tap water it doesn't mean all bottled water is tap water. I'll agree that I can't tell you the difference between Tesco bottled water and tap water... but I can recognise a glass of mineral water immediately.

Get a glass of real mineral water (Evian, San Pellegrino, Panna, etc) and compare it to tap water, the difference will be obvious. Go one step further if you want, compare it to Ferarelle, which is naturally sparkling water. No CO2 added; it gets pushed through some rocks before coming to the surface and is thus naturally fizzy; I've never had that coming out of my tap...

<rant>

M.
 
I've been curious how much difference there is between own brand items and I noticed that all three sell a fabric conditioner that appears to be the same form any of the three supermarkets: bottle, cap, instructions, colour, smell...

So I bought one from each store. The ingredients appear to be the same, and they wash equally well, so what do you reckon - just a different label or so similar because that's what customers want?

A lot of products are very similar.

The only ones that I've found to be noticably different are foodstuffs where texture/feel is part of the experience such as desserts (ice cream, creme caramel, packaged custard), soft drinks such as colas, and some bakery products.
 
I used to do business with Peter Black in Keighley who told me how they hid (for instance) Waitrose packaging when M&S did a visit - and vice versa. Most (but no all) bubble bath etc. was generic. However, they did do bespoke stuff too
 
When I was student I worked at Cow & Gate milk powder factory in the summer. One minute we were canning Cow & Gate powder milk then we stopped - changed the tins and filled tins for woolworths - same powder. And Marvel.

So some are just the same goods - differing labels.
 
My favourite was when we lived in Tenerife. The local supermarket sold Heinz baked beans and a Spanish brand. The price differential was staggering, the Heinz cans sold for five times the price of the local version. Luckily the expatriates couldn't read Spanish as the factory of origin was printed on the label. Needless to say it was the same factory and the taste of the beans was identical.

Even more hilarious was much earlier, in my wild and tempestuous youth, when I worked in a Spanish bar on Ibiza. We had two beer taps in the bar, one served Aguila Dorada and the other served Carling Black Label, at twice the price of the local brew.

Every five minutes a poor, parched, British holidaymaker would alight upon our "English" bar and ask for a pint of Carling, as they were sick of drinking "that Spanish muck."

What they couldn't see was that both taps led to the same barrel, of Aguila Dorada. I was there for two whole summers and we never had one complaint...
 
Last edited:
Lidl has v. good juice, chocolate, cakes, instant coffee & a few other 'Continentaly' things. Actually cheaper & better than big name brand stuff.

As G.O'rilla said, you wouldn't do the weakly shop for everything there but if you're selective it's great.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom