Approximately three in 10 people (30%) say that at least half of the items they buy are store own-brands. Biscuits (53%) is the product people are most likely to buy private label.
According to Canadean Custom Solutions, the recent years’ growth of private label brands should not only be tied to a downturn in consumers’ financial well-being. In reality, decades of investment in product portfolios and category management by retailers, combined with continually growing scepticism towards the food industry in general, means that the majority of consumers are unable to differentiate between branded and non-branded food and drinks.
The survey found that 55% of UK adults believe that the quality of private label food and drinks is just as good as branded alternatives. More worrying for branded manufacturers is that 46% of respondents believed that branded and non-branded food and drink is produced in the same factory and it’s only the packaging that’s different. Furthermore, 64% believe that any extra costs associated with branded food are down to advertising costs and non-quality indicators.
The results show that if branded manufacturers are to differentiate from private label alternatives, more needs to be done to leverage traits such as quality, authenticity and brand heritage.
Michael Hughes, research manager at Canadean Custom Solutions, said: “The figures show that continued growth of private label is not just a knee-jerk reaction by consumers to a recessionary environment, but the result of decades of investment in product portfolios by retailers. This has also been helped by an increasing level of scepticism towards the food and drink industry as a whole, with consumers ultimately believing branded and non-branded groceries are the same, with only different packaging and advertising resulting in different retail prices.”
This Canadean Custom Solutions survey is based on answers from 2,000 UK-based adults. The survey was conducted in January 2014.
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