34. Store-Brand Products | The Economics of Everyday Things

Those low-priced staples on grocery-store shelves — where do they come from? Zachary Crockett finds out at a national convention for private-label manufacturers.

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Zachary Crockett uncovers the hidden side of the things that surround us. Who decides what snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a 100-year-old elm tree on a suburban block worth — and to whom? And what makes Girl Scout Cookies a billion-dollar business?

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Freakonomics began as a book, which led to a blog, a documentary film, more books, a pair of pants, and in 2010, a podcast called Freakonomics Radio. Hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, it’s one of the most popular podcasts in the world, with a reputation for storytelling that is both rigorous and entertaining. Its archive of more than 500 episodes is available, for free, on any podcast app, and the show airs weekly on NPR stations. Freakonomics Radio is now the flagship show of the Freakonomics Radio Network, which includes the podcasts No Stupid Questions, People I (Mostly) Admire, and The Economics of Everyday Things.

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[hroman]

Just discovered these podcasts. Very informative.

[yourgooglemeister]

Watching these on YouTube you realize how many obtrusive ads are on legacy outlets

[tarjei]

In Norway, store brands compete between stores and that has increased quality. In some cases quite dramatically.

[ahwhite]

Some store brands really do good product selection. When Lidl carries something I want in their store brand, it is my first choice. But, as with all branding, reputation is key. Stores that are inconsistent with their brands or who offer low quality will only sell to people who have no choice. The business sure has come a long way. I remember the generic era. And the first "Jewel" store brands in the Chicago area. They were bad. Stale bread products. Vegetables with all sorts of stems and wilted pieces.

[sirrickthend]

I've worked in factories where we made both name brand and store brand and even though they're made in the same building and ran on the same production lines, there is a definite difference in quality of ingredients. Minute Maid got the best highest quality juice, trader Joe's got the cheap garbage juice.

[Hemond]

Generic versions of OTC medicines are remarkable. Absolutely identical yet bargain basement priced. Store brand versions of NyQuill, DayQuill, Pepto, aspirin. They are typically in the identical bottle, offered side by side with the national brand. Also batteries, lightbulbs.

[seanwebb]

Please do a follow up episode that looks at Amazon Essential as a model similar to this.

[Hemond]

The store brand A1 steak sauce is far superior to the national brand. It has finer ingredients. NO high fructose corn syrup. While I've discovered my local store brand coffee pod is actually Dunkin Donuts coffee. The pod is identical as is the fine flavor. While chatting with a guy loading the dairy shelf, he informed me that the store brand creamer, milk and half&half is actually made by Hood - a giant dairy here in New England.

[ropeburnsrussell]

Most Walmart labeled foods are fine, some are not, so you need to experient.
But you can save a lot of money by using them.

[seanwebb]

Normally I love premium brand ice cream, but President's Choice Rocky Road is so far better than many of the national brands available at grocery stores in Canada. I think that I might even be paying a higher price than Chapman's and others.

[jljordan]

Kroger has its dairy products come from Jackson Dairy out of Hutchinson, Kansas.

[seanwebb]

Friend Of The Family Stan is a perfectly fine alternative brand of fried rice.

[robertpmarch]

2 years ago I bought a lot of store brand, and just bought a name brand occasionally to compare. Then the store brand started putting less product and more water in their packages. Now I buy name brand and only sporadically buy a store brand just to compare. I do not know why the store brand quality is so poor today.

[stephenboyington]

Is #4 toothpaste manufacturer in all of Kazakhstan!

[noahway]

Food Lion used to have the best generic brands. Then about a year ago the quality fell off a cliff.