Store Brand vs. Name Brand: 12 Grocery Items Where the Price Difference Is Hard to Ignore

A smiling man pours milk from a glass pitcher into a glass bowl filled with cereal on a wooden table. Comparing private-label grocery items with name-brand equivalents highlights the smart ways households cut costs without sacrificing quality. Pexels.

Walking through a grocery store can make it tempting to reach for the brand you already know. The familiar label feels like the safer choice, especially when the products are sitting side by side. But that extra recognition can come with a higher price, and the difference can add up across an entire grocery cart. Consumer Reports found that store-brand products typically cost 25% to 30% less than comparable name brands, although the savings vary by product and retailer. Here are 12 grocery categories where shoppers may want to compare the store brand before automatically paying for the familiar label.

1. Canned Vegetables Can Be an Easy Brand Swap