Hi all - is there a product you’ve seen at the supermarket that looks like it’s from a major label, but is actually home brand?
I’m compiling a list of home brand items that most people wouldn’t know are a retailer’s own label, so am keen to hear suggestions!
UPDATE: I’m also curious to know what you think when you see these brands. Do you think they’re a sneaky tactic by supermarkets? Or are they good value?
Smitten cat food from Woolworths
Macro Wholefoods? It is certified organic but I would still call it homebrand. What is our working definition of homebrand?
It used to be independent bulk health foods brand but was bought out by woolworths in 2009.
I don’t know if people reaslise it is essentially homebrand now?
Thomas Dux suffered a similar fate as Macro - was bought by Wollies and eviscerated. Now is homebrand deluxe cheese.
Aldi’s, Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, Officeworks etc., all have products that are rebranded.
Aldi’s I’d say 90% of the items are rebranded by Aldi e.g. Organic brand, all the cheeses, meats, dairy, biscuits, breads, eggs, tinned food, cereals, frozen goods & most of the items in the middle aisle, tools, small white goods, TV’s etc. All under well thought up names like
Woolworths - Our Brands | Woolworths
Coles - Discover premium products with Coles Finest Brand | Coles
Kmart - the Anko brand is a Kmart rebrand which covers nearly every item in the store
It’s strange how Woolies lists a lot of their home brands, but fail to mention several that are disguised to not look like a homebrand. Their oral care, insect sprays, cleaning products, freezer bags, frozen veggies and cheese etc…
All supermarkets have their own ‘brands’ and most of Aldi’s fresh dairy range is by major local manufacturers with very similar packaging but curiously they manage to be cheaper than Colesworth on similar items.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions so far. I’m curious to know how you feel when you see these brands - do you think they’re a sneaky tactic by supermarkets or are you happy to see the lower prices?
Not unique to Colesworth products I feel let down by the uncertainty of who the producer or processor really is. It’s common or typical to see a packaged by or similar wording identifying an anonymous supplier from some unlikely address in the back blocks of Melb etc.
Neither the real producer or source of origin or the Supermarket are prepared to admit - produced by XYZ especially for Colesworth.
The supply chain is obscured from consumer avoiding greater scrutiny or preferences to be considered.
Woolworths have been doing this for some time. They bought the ‘Naturis’ brand of vitamins and health foods in the 1980’s. That brand had completely disappeared by the time they bought Macro. The last to go was Naturis Natural Toothpaste which has been rebranded a few times and is currently called All Smiles.
Coles recently introduced its own natural brand Organic Road, mostly oats and grains at this stage.
Yes, I reckon (but can’t prove) this is the current branding for the same natural toothpaste Woolworths has stocked since the 1980’s originally called Naturis. Woolworths purchased the Naturis brand of vitamins and health food items them. This toothpaste has had a few different brand names over the years.
Don’t see it as being sneaky as being made for Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA etc are clearly stated on the labels. They would be sneaky if such information wasn’t displayed.
This is an example of labelling using the Strike Bleach shown in a earlier post in this thread:
If they are cheaper, and fulfill a consumers other decision making criteria (origin, nutritional panel information, ingredients, quality etc), I have no issues with store brands.
Aldi specialises in it as it uses scores of different store brands for its home brand products. Other supermarkets are only following this lead.
It’s not so embarrassing having them at home when guests are around like when they see you’ve been buying homebrand products.
I suppose the supermarkets are trying to give the impression they are the same quality as regular brands and not that of a homebrand.
Some name brands are better than home brand but not all, it depends on the product. For example pasta, in a blind test there would be few (any?) who could tell the difference between home brands and name brands costing twice the price or more.
