Store brand groceries often promise big savings over name brands—but are they really worth the switch? The short answer: usually, yes. Store brands (also called private label or generic brands) can offer significant savings without sacrificing quality, especially when it comes to pantry staples, dairy, and frozen foods.
Here’s a closer look at how much you can actually save, where store brands shine, and when you might want to stick with a national label.
What are store brands?
Store brands are products made and sold by a specific retailer, typically positioned as lower-cost alternatives to national brands. They often use different branding but contain nearly identical ingredients. In many cases, store brands are produced in the same manufacturing facilities as name-brand goods.
How much money can you save?
Shoppers can save up to 25–30% by switching from name brands to store brands. For a household spending $800 monthly on groceries, that could add up to $2,500+ in annual savings.
The savings are particularly noticeable on high-frequency items like:
- Canned vegetables and beans
- Flour, sugar, and baking ingredients
- Milk, eggs, and butter
- Frozen vegetables and snacks
- Paper goods and cleaning supplies
Are store brands lower in quality?
Not necessarily. In blind taste tests conducted by organizations like Consumer Reports, many store-brand products perform just as well—and sometimes better—than their national counterparts.
Retailers have invested heavily in improving store-brand quality over the past decade. Some store brands, like Simple Truth or 365, even focus on organic and non-GMO offerings, rivaling premium national brands at a lower cost.
When might national brands be better?
There are exceptions where the brand name may be worth the price—especially when it comes to specialty items, unique flavors, or products with patented formulations. If your household is loyal to a particular cereal, soda, or cleaning formula, you may not find an exact match in a store brand.
National brands also offer more frequent promotions, coupons, and bundled discounts, which can occasionally bring their price lower than the store brand.
How to stretch savings even further
You can save even more by combining store brand shopping with cashback and rewards programs. For example, using a Fluz gift card at participating grocery stores allows you to earn cashback with a Kroger gift card or get rewards with a Safeway gift card when buying groceries—store-brand or not.
To see which retailers are available, visit the Fluz homepage.
Final thoughts
Store brand groceries offer a practical way to reduce your grocery bill without compromising on quality. For many staple items, they perform just as well as name brands at a fraction of the cost. With strategic shopping and the use of cashback tools, the switch to store brands can result in significant long-term savings.
