Some posts are easy to write, especially if the topic is something I know a lot about. But other posts take more time and effort, and I have no one to blame for that but myself! I get curious about an unfamiliar topic, decide to write a post about it, and end up diving head-first into hours of research. That was definitely the case with today's post, because before very recently, I didn't really know anything about private label products!

But after reading somewhere that some private label foods are identical to the name brand stuff, I couldn't help but wonder how that could be. (Because if I can buy the same product for less money, I want to know about about that. And I want YOU to know about it too!) So I dusted off my reporter hat and got to work, and I'm excited to share everything that I've learned about the world of private label foods with you today! :-)

Let's start with the basics: what is a private label product?

Private label products are often identical to brand names. (One Good Thing)
Private label products are often identical to brand names. (One Good Thing)

Private label products include any merchandise sold under a retailer's own brand. Private label products may be branded with the same name as the specific retailer (like Kroger brand foods at Kroger stores, for example), but that isn't always the case. Many retailers have started offering private label foods under a brand with its own name (like Great Value brand foods at Walmart).

Retailers don't have to spend a lot of extra money to advertise private label products. Because of that, they can sell them at a lower price than the name brands can, and that equals savings for us!

Private label foods are packaged with the retailer's brand instead of the manufacturer's brand name. (One Good Thing)
Private label foods are packaged with the retailer's brand instead of the manufacturer's brand name. (One Good Thing)

Private label brands are popular with retailers and consumers alike, especially in grocery stores! Retailers like them because they have more control over quality and profit margins with their private label products. And as consumers, we like them because they save us money without (and this is key!) sacrificing quality.

Private label items include more than food. (One Good Thing)
Private label items include more than food. (One Good Thing)

Some retailers have so many private label food products that they operate their own manufacturing facilities to produce them. But in other instances, private label brands and national "name brands" source their food products from the exact same manufacturers. In those cases, there is virtually no difference between the two products in terms of ingredients or quality—the only difference is the price!

Private label items save you money with no sacrifice of quality. (One Good Thing)
Private label items save you money with no sacrifice of quality. (One Good Thing)

While I wish I could offer you a massive list of where retailers are sourcing their private label foods, it isn't quite that easy! Most retailers are reluctant to give up exact details about who manufactures their private label products.

But after a LOT of digging around online, I managed to scrape together a list of private label foods that, according to general consensus, are the same as (or incredibly similar to) a name brand food. Check it out below!

Trader Joe's yogurt is actually Stonyfield. (One Good Thing)
Trader Joe's yogurt is actually Stonyfield. (One Good Thing)

Trader Joe's mac and cheese = Annie's

Trader Joe's yogurt = Stoneyfield Farm

Trader Joe's chili = Amy's Organic

Kirkland Signature batteries = Duracell

Kirkland Signature canned tuna = Bumblebee

Kirkland Signature pet good = Diamond Pet Foods

Great Value spices = McCormick

Great Value canned vegetables = Green Giant

Great Value peanut butter = Peter Pan

Kroger American cheese = Kraft

Kroger fruit rings cereal = Fruit Loops

Kroger cocoa puffed cereal = Cocoa Puffs

Give "store brands" a chance! (One Good Thing)
Give "store brands" a chance! (One Good Thing)

So what's my point here? I simply want to encourage you to give private label products a chance! Not only will it save you money on your grocery budget, but you never know when you might come across a "generic" private label product that is actually identical to its name brand counterpart! :-)