There is a common belief that store brands are always cheaper than name brands. While this is often true for base prices, the equation changes completely when you introduce coupons. National brands have marketing budgets that allow them to issue high-value coupons, whereas store brands rarely do. When you stack a manufacturer’s coupon with a store sale, these twelve specific name-brand items frequently dip below the price of their generic counterparts.
1. Cereal
Store-brand cereal has a low everyday price, but name-brand cereal has aggressive sales. It is common to see General Mills or Kellogg’s cereals on sale for under two dollars. When you add a manufacturer’s coupon for one dollar off two boxes, the price drops significantly below the generic bag. The volume of coupons available for cereal makes the name-brand a consistently better deal for the savvy shopper.
2. Toothpaste
You should never pay for toothpaste. Drugstores like CVS and Walgreens run promotions where buying specific tubes of Crest or Colgate generates store rewards. When combined with manufacturer coupons from the Sunday paper or digital apps, these tubes often become free or even moneymakers. The generic toothpaste cannot compete with free.
3. Laundry Detergent
Generic detergent is cheap, but it is often diluted. Premium brands like Tide and Persil frequently offer high-value coupons, such as three dollars off a bottle. When these brands run a bulk promotion at a store like Target, the cost per load drops below that of the budget jug, while providing a much more effective cleaning power.
4. Shampoo and Conditioner
Hair care is a major loss leader for drugstores. Brands like Pantene, Garnier, and L’Oreal release high-value coupons regularly. Stacking a four-dollar-off coupon with a store rewards offer makes these name brands significantly cheaper than the generic salon knockoffs found in the discount aisle.
5. Razors
Razor cartridges are expensive, but the handles are often given away. Manufacturers sell the handles at a loss to get you hooked on the blades. You can frequently find coupons for three or four dollars off a razor handle. If the handle is on sale, the coupon brings it down to a price that beats the disposable generic bags.
6. Diapers
While store-brand diapers have a lower sticker price, the cost per diaper game favors name brands during sales events. When stores run baby events where spending one hundred dollars gets you twenty dollars back, stacking manufacturer coupons and rebate app offers for Huggies or Pampers brings the unit price down below the generic options.
7. Soda
Generic cola is always cheap, but name-brand soda pricing is volatile. During holiday weeks, stores run aggressive volume sales on 12-packs of Coke or Pepsi. When you buy during these volume events, the price per can rivals the store brand, with a taste profile that most consumers prefer.
8. Yogurt
Single cups of store-brand yogurt are inexpensive, but name-brand options often offer better multi-buy incentives. Coupons for money off five cups of Yoplait or two packs of Chobani are common. Combining these coupons with a ten-for-ten sale makes the name brand the clear winner for your lunchbox.
9. Crackers
Snack crackers see heavy promotional activity. During the Super Bowl or holiday seasons, Ritz and Cheez-It boxes are often priced at two dollars. Adding a manufacturer’s coupon to this sale price undercuts the generic version, which rarely goes on sale and does not have coupons.
10. Frozen Pizza
Frozen pizza is a competitive category. Brands like DiGiorno and Red Baron frequently issue coupons. When a store runs a two-for-ten sale on pizza, and you add a coupon, you get a premium frozen pizza for the price of a cardboard-tasting generic disk.
11. Condiments
During the summer, for barbecue sauce, and January for salad dressing, name brands like Sweet Baby Ray’s and Ken’s dominate. Buy-one-get-one sales combined with seasonal coupons often drop the price of these items below the store brand price.
12. Deodorant
Like toothpaste, deodorant is a drugstore staple that is readily available and inexpensive. High-value coupons for Degree, Dove, or Old Spice are common. Stacking these with a buy-one-get-one-half-off sale makes the name-brand cheaper than the generic stick.
The Math of Marketing
The reason these items are cheaper is simple: marketing budgets. Name brands pay you to buy their product through coupons. Store brands rely on the shelf price alone. By leveraging the marketing budgets of big companies, you can enjoy premium quality at a more affordable price.
Which name brands do you only buy with a coupon? Have you found other items that are cheaper than the generic version? Let us know!
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