(WTOL) - Generic products are more popular than ever in the local supermarket. Generics were once shunned by most shoppers but now, many head straight for the store brands.
Still, have you noticed you do not always save as much as you used to save?
When grocery stores first launched generic products back in the 1970s, they were a fraction of the price of the name brands. But as grocers caught on and went more upscale, store brands began costing more.
House Brand Prices Jump
Fast forward to 2012. The Wall Street Journal said private label grocery items rose more than 5 percent last year, compared to just 1.9 percent for name brand food.
The report cited Target's Archer Farms brand as one such house brand. Archer Farms has become so popular that The Wall Street Journal said it is no longer offering quite the same product for the price it charges.
The Journal said Archer Farms roast almonds cost a penny more per ounce than Planters roast almonds. It also said Sam's Club's house brand diapers cost more than some of the national diaper brands.
The Bottom Line
This also indicates some store brands are so good, they now compete on their own merits, which is good.
If saving money is your top priority, you may have to look a little harder for the true generic or "value" brand in your grocery store, as store premium brands get more and more shelf space.
As always, don't waste your money.
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