4 ms·

It pains me to go shopping where there are "well-known" brands on display. All that I see is their brand tax slapped onto each product whereas I go to Lidl/Aldi

It pains me to go shopping where there are "well-known" brands on display. All that I see is their brand tax slapped onto each product whereas I go to Lidl/Aldi and I have no qualms in buying the knock off products. Same product, different labelling.

LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
I have a slightly different approach. While I concur in parts with yours, there are products from established brands which I prefer because I like their taste and/or tolerate them better. This isn't even organic vs. processed/industrial food. There is just no outlet which has it all, so I have to shop around in different locations. Just Aldilidl would be too limiting for my tastes and needs.
lotsofpulp 6y ago
Some brands do offer a better product than generics. Just like there’s different quality of silicon chips that result in different quality electronics, I can imagine the same exists for food. Whether or not the price different is worth it is obviously up to the buyer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_binning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_binning
- melomal 6y ago
  I'm desperately trying to find the source but discounters like Lidl/Aldi just use well known brands, signed with NDAs on both sides. Imagine knowing that a discount chain is about to make a regular purchase of 300,000 tins of beans. You will happily rebrand, keep it hushed up and take the repeat large orders. It makes me wonder what the margins are on a single tin of Heinz beans.
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    Using the same manufacturers as well known brands might not mean it’s the same product. It’s possible the ingredients are of higher quality resulting in a higher quality product. It’s also possible it’s the same thing, or the quality isn’t worth the extra price. I remember there was a whole thing a few years ago about fake olive oil and fake grated Parmesan cheese (or what was mostly wood pulp which was allowable per legal definition). I think Kirkland was one of the real olive oil products, but the point is there were differences and some of the expensive brands were real and some were fake.
    - melomal 6y ago
      I still make references to friends and family to the whole wood pulp issue (I should find some new references). I believe it's Hershey's chocolate that is basically 1% off the minimum amount of chocolate content to legally call it chocolate. Bigger brands have bigger pockets to line with profits so we all know that the ingredients are probably the first to take a hit. Discounters do not have to deal with brand taxes.

LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago

I have a slightly different approach. While I concur in parts with yours, there are products from established brands which I prefer because I like their taste and/or tolerate them better. This isn't even organic vs. processed/industrial food. There is just no outlet which has it all, so I have to shop around in different locations. Just Aldilidl would be too limiting for my tastes and needs.

lotsofpulp 6y ago

Some brands do offer a better product than generics. Just like there’s different quality of silicon chips that result in different quality electronics, I can imagine the same exists for food. Whether or not the price different is worth it is obviously up to the buyer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_binning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_binning

melomal 6y ago
I'm desperately trying to find the source but discounters like Lidl/Aldi just use well known brands, signed with NDAs on both sides. Imagine knowing that a discount chain is about to make a regular purchase of 300,000 tins of beans. You will happily rebrand, keep it hushed up and take the repeat large orders. It makes me wonder what the margins are on a single tin of Heinz beans.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  Using the same manufacturers as well known brands might not mean it’s the same product. It’s possible the ingredients are of higher quality resulting in a higher quality product. It’s also possible it’s the same thing, or the quality isn’t worth the extra price. I remember there was a whole thing a few years ago about fake olive oil and fake grated Parmesan cheese (or what was mostly wood pulp which was allowable per legal definition). I think Kirkland was one of the real olive oil products, but the point is there were differences and some of the expensive brands were real and some were fake.
  - melomal 6y ago
    I still make references to friends and family to the whole wood pulp issue (I should find some new references). I believe it's Hershey's chocolate that is basically 1% off the minimum amount of chocolate content to legally call it chocolate. Bigger brands have bigger pockets to line with profits so we all know that the ingredients are probably the first to take a hit. Discounters do not have to deal with brand taxes.